Cloud Cover
by SecretSky
Summary: Naruto's led a tough life, but with a fresh start at a new school, his natural optimism kicks in. Unfortunately, things are about to get far worse. Pulled into a world of drugs, abuse and crime, he must find a way to make it out alive or die trying. "Remember, Uzumaki," he said to the mirror, "Your real life is with your friends. This...this is just a nightmare." Warnings inside.
1. Birth of a Fox

**AN**: This fanfiction is rated M for mature themes such as _violence_ and_ bad language_ as well as_ sexual abuse, rape _and_ possible character deaths _in later chapters_._ It starts off a little slow, but it WILL descend into a dark pit of despair and madness. Just a warning. :) Please turn back if you do not wish to read that kind of fiction.

* * *

><p><strong>Cloud Cover<strong>

Prologue

_"Our character...is an omen of our destiny, and the more integrity we have and keep, the simpler and nobler that destiny is likely to be."_

~George Santayana (1863 - 1952)

* * *

><p>"Is that him?" one kid whispered.<p>

"Yeah, that's him. The _traitor_." Came the reply. It was said with so much malice and little attempt to avoid being heard. The small blonde boy barely noticed it at the time as he trailed behind a tall, stern man. Still in shock over the death of his parents, the voices seemed to pass over him, the sounds as meaningless as waves crashing on rocks. It had all happened so fast. One minute life was smiles and sunshine, the next darkness and cloud, and Naruto, only 5 at the time didn't understand the events, why he was here, nor why every kid at the home had immediately taken a strong dislike to him. All he knew in those first days of being there, was that he was not welcome.

"It was his parents, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, he's the reason we're here."

The children continued to whisper as he was lead upstairs and shown to his new room in this strange stone building.

The sun shone brightly from a clear, blue sky onto the blonde boy as he sat at the edge of a copse of woods within the fenced area, digging at the ground with a stick. The great stone building loomed nearby, children running about the courtyard.

A group of boys came nearby, their football rolling past his tree into the copse, missing him only by a few inches. It began with yelling at first.

"Go get the ball, monster."

"Fetch it, freak!"

Naruto got up and ran in to get the ball. It had rolled under one of the bushes. He knelt down and dragged it out as the branches tried to hold onto their prize catch. Standing up, he found the other boys barring his way. They had followed him in. There were three of them. One stocky older boy. He had the look of a kid who would either become extremely fat or extremely well-built. The other two were leaner, faster. All three were looking at him in disgust.

"You shouldn't be here, you know." said the stocky boy.

"Yeah, run away, already!" added the second.

"You should've died like your traitor parents." whispered the last, his words hanging in the quiet air.

The blonde boy held out the ball, but no one moved to take it, so he started to walk past the boys back into the courtyard.

"Hey, give us back our ball!" yelled one of the leaner boys, his freckled face was screwed up in anger as he grabbed it from Naruto and shoved him backwards.

The blonde boy growled angrily.

"Leave me alone!" he yelled, barrelling into the freckled boy who gave a shout of surprise and fell backwards onto the grass. He let out a cry and lifted his arm. There was blood on it, just a small scratch, but he looked enraged.

"You'll pay for that." said the stocky boy and he gave Naruto a powerful shove. The small boy fell to the ground, and the next moment he was being hit and kicked , surrounded by the three boys in the quiet of the trees, the only sound heard were his cries.

"Grab his arms." yelled the stocky boy, and the other two pinned him down obediently.

Naruto struggled, kicked and yelled, but stopped when the older boy pulled something metallic and silver from his pocket. A penknife.

"Lemme go!" he yelled in panic. "Lemme go!"

Even the other two boys looked nervous as he held the knife near Naruto's face.

"You're going to pay for what you and your parents did. What was it they were called? The Fox Unit, right? Let's see if their son likes being a fox."

Naruto said nothing, his breath coming out in short gasps of fear as he felt the metal press to his cheek. Then he began to scream as it was dragged across his face.

"Shut him up." said the older boy.

The freckled boy looked uncertain, but he covered his mouth with his hand, while the stocky one continued dragging it across his face. Once, twice, three times...Naruto began to lose count. Wet tears from his lashes mixed with the blood on his cheeks and dripped onto the ground. He'd stopped crying out, biting down hard against the pain.

It finally stopped and the boys let him go. He got on his knees and curled over, touching his face and then withdrawing his hands with a whimper as he felt the sticky blood. The boys looked slightly guilty as they watched the pitiful figure on the ground.

"Shut up, crybaby." said the stocky boy. "Monsters don't cry."

"We should get out of here." said one of them. He sounded a bit scared.

They started to back away out of the shadow of the trees.

"You deserved it." hissed the stocky boy before he turned and followed after the other two.

Later, Naruto went crying to the home director, Tsuyoshi...only to find that neither he nor any of the other adults cared in the slightest. Instead, the home director just pushed him away and told him he'd better get used to it or get fast. He did send Naruto to the nurse who coldly checked him over and stitched the fresh scars on his face, muttering under her breath. There was one word which Naruto had caught.

"Monster."


	2. The Hellhole

Cloud Cover

Chapter 1: The Hellhole

_"I love life because what more is there."_

~Anthony Hopkins

_**10 years later...**_

This was it. This was the day when everything would change. Naruto had barely been able to sleep through the night from excitement, and his hyperactive mind had woken him at 6 in the morning, but he didn't care. It just gave him more time to go over everything. Bag packed. Check. Toothbrush, clothes, wallet. Check, check and check. Photo of parents and glow-in-the-dark frog alarm clock. _Big ol' check_.

Naruto sat excitedly at the edge of his bed waiting for everyone else in the children's home to get up. Kids were still asleep in the beds near him, not a one had stirred despite his not-trying-too-hard to be quiet. Naruto _oh-so-accidentally_ kicked his bag and the things inside fell over with a clunk. No one moved. Naruto looked at his watch again. 6.30am. Aaargh! Why was time so slow? He couldn't stand it anymore. He picked up his bag and thundered down the dorm stairs (very quietly of course), swinging his bag into the wall for good measure. It made a satisfactory booming sound that dissonated through the walls. A door further along the hallway swung open and a grumpy, tired face peered out. It glared at Naruto.

"What the fuck are you making so much noise for?"

Naruto grinned back cheekily, undaunted.

"I'm leaving today, Tsuyoshi, remember?"

Tsuyoshi glowered at him. "You think I'd forget? _Thank fuck_. Unfortunately, it's not for another three hours, so either go back to bed or sit down somewhere and shut up."

The door slammed shut. _There goes a man who was never meant to work with kids_, thought Naruto. _Then again_, he thought proudly, _I'm hardly a kid anymore_. At 15, Naruto was average height, but he was lean and tough. He'd learned to take a punch and become quick and agile from copious amounts of running.

Needless to say, the 'home' was no home for him, but _now_, **not** tomorrow, **not** the day after, but_ today_, on this _amazing_ and _wonderful_ day - Naruto was leaving this miserable dump!

* * *

><p>He grinned as he settled himself comfortably on the squishy staff room sofa and switched on the TV. Normally, he'd be banned to his room for weeks just for being in there, but hey, he was leaving today. What could they do?<p>

Naruto looked at his watch. 8am. He'd been watching TV for over an hour. Creepy colourful blobs danced around the screen muttering gibberish: morning cartoons. They seemed to get worse every year, then again, perhaps he was just growing up. Either way, the colourful fat things on television were about as intelligent as a pile of turd. He yawned and stretched. Only one more hour. One more and then freedom! Naruto chuckled, standing up on the couch, he raised an imaginary sword in the air and said in a passable Scottish accent,

"My fellow countrrrymen, today is a day to change all days. Today we leave this dungeon to storm the castle. Today we take our FRrrRRrrrEEEEEDOOOM!" This last word must have been shouted very loudly because the door swung open and Tsuyoshi craned his neck around it.

"So this is where you are! Out. NOW!"

Naruto scrambled off the sofa and dashed past him quickly, ducking under the hand that threatened to hit him across the head.

"This is your last day here." growled Tsuyoshi. " I'm not going to let you tear the place down on your way out. Get outside and sit on the steps!"

It wasn't so bad outside. Weak morning light was filtering through a gray sky, but the air felt clear and fresh. Naruto leaned back against the steps, his backpack next to him and simply enjoyed the feeling of a gentle wind moving through his hair. The air seemed to promise him freedom, hope, better things as it drifted to him from outside of the large iron gates. Time passed slowly and Naruto alternated between sprawling on the steps with his eyes closed and staring around at the grounds, memorising every detail of the Home with the delicious feeling that he'd never have to look at nor step inside it ever again. Above the stone-built entrance hung a faded sign reading, 'Safe Haven Foundation'. Naruto snorted. The children at the Home had given it a much better name, 'The Hellhole.' It wasn't so bad, he supposed. None of them were treated badly or neglected. It was just run down and full of crappy people. For Naruto, the name 'Hellhole' had definitely rung true. It was ironic. The place was full of demons, yet he was the one branded monster.

Tsuyoshi made a timely exit from the archway just as Naruto was thinking this. He glared at the blonde boy sitting on the steps. It was his usual expression when looking at him. Naruto was nonplussed. Tsuyoshi glanced at his watch.

"Your new guardian should be here soon."

Naruto simply nodded, beginning to feel nervous. He'd tried not to think too much about the actual meeting, tried not to get his hopes up or think of the very worst possibilities. Would his soon-to-be foster father like him? Would they get on? They'd never actually met. For all the other kids, adults would come along to meet them, picking their favourites like sweets from a candy shop, and after a long process or paperwork, legalities, etc., they would return and pack them off to their homes. Not so with Naruto. He'd never even been told the name of the man who had agreed to look after him, knowing only that it was a single guy, distantly related. Still, it wasn't adoption. Naruto was going to be fostered. If the guardian wanted, he could send Naruto right back to this dump. Naruto gulped.

More people started coming outside now. Some of the other children climbed down the steps with expressionless faces, their eyes hardening when they looked towards Naruto. One of the social workers, Rin, was ushering them all to the front of the steps and Naruto shifted quickly out of the way. It was tradition for everyone to send off whomever was leaving. He hadn't thought they'd do it for him, but Naruto knew the other kids were only there because they wanted to see who was insane enough to actually foster him.

Taiki, a stocky older boy of around 17 leaned towards him with a sneer. "You're not being fostered, you're finally being taken to prison."

Naruto smirked back at him. "What's wrong? Jealous because nobody wants to take you home and have to look at your ugly mug?"

Taiki raised his fist quickly, but Naruto was fast, dodging back. Tsuyoshi's eyes were on them and Taiki didn't advance any more. Even he held back when the adults were around, not that they cared. Naruto sometimes wondered what would happen if he was beaten up and Tsuyoshi or Rin were around. Would they even stop it? Thankfully, that had never been put to the test. It had been Taiki who had given him the scars on his face though. Tsuyoshi had never even punished him, and the bigger boy had taken to beating Naruto up whenever he could, which wasn't often considering Naruto's speed and Taiki's stocky legs, but the boy had thick muscles and he could pack a punch.

A car rounded the drive and pulled up in front of the large state foster home. It was silver, not too big, not too small, and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He'd boasted that he'd be whisked off in a limo, but the truth was a large part of him had expected an old banger to appear chugging feebly around the corner, or worse, for no one to appear at all and for him to find out that this was all just one big joke. Instead, a tall brunette man got out of his Honda Civic. Naruto mustered all his courage and stepped forward with a grin, putting out his hand.

"Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

The man eyed the outstretched hand with a stony, gray stare and then looked at Naruto coldly. He turned to Tsuyoshi.

"Is this the boy?" he said. It sounded like a defeated statement rather than a question and Naruto's face fell.

"This is him." replied Tsuyoshi.

The man nodded and turned to Naruto. "Put your things in the backseat."

Naruto did so and turned to get into the front seat of the car. The man glared at him.

"In the back."

Naruto turned back around and climbed in the backseat next to his backpack. The man shut the door on him, and Naruto was left sitting alone in the car, its engine still running quietly. The man was conversing with Tsuyoshi outside though it sounded muffled and indistinct through the glass of the window. The man looked stressed as he ran his hands through his hair, and Naruto tried to avoid the growing sneers on the faces of Taiki and the others as they watched the scene. Obviously, this 'foster father' disliked Naruto as much as they did, which was good enough for them. Finally, the man shook hands with Tsuyoshi and went round to the driver's seat. He climbed in and slammed the door, pulling away from the 'Hellhole'.

Naruto took a deep breath as they passed through the gates. For the first time in his life, he was leaving permanently, and one small part of him felt sick with fear at the thought of leaving the only place he'd ever really known as home despite how miserable it had been. He stared at the back of the silent man's head in the front seat. He had a feeling he wouldn't be calling this guy 'Dad' any time soon. In fact, Naruto had no idea what to call him. He couldn't call him 'the man' forever. He cleared his throat.

"What's your name?"

"Shunsuke." He didn't say anything else.

Naruto tried again. "Um, where is it you live?"

Shunsuke glanced at Naruto in the rearview mirror.

"Weston area. Konoha Centre." came the abrupt reply.

Naruto nodded, trying to think of something else to say. _Keep it friendly_, he thought.

"Is it nice?"

The man in front of him gave a sigh of frustration. "Let's make a rule right now. We don't speak to each other unless we have to, got it?"

"Got it." muttered Naruto. _Jerk. _He leaned against the car window and watched the scenery flashing by for a while. There were burning questions he wanted to ask, the top one being, 'Why the fuck had he agreed to foster him if he obviously had no interest in it?', but he had a feeling he'd get his answers soon enough. For now, Naruto wanted to make a good impression, well, as good an impression as he could with a guy who didn't even want to speak to him, so he did as he was told and kept his mouth shut.

They were making their way into the city. The trees and suburban houses flashing past the window had changed to office blocks and skyscrapers. Eventually, Shunsuke slowed as he neared a large apartment building, and turned down into a large underground car park.

Shunsuke turned off the engine and got out. He opened Naruto's door, motioning for him to follow and Naruto quickly grabbed his bag and clambered out, the car chirping behind him as it locked and turned on its alarm systems. He trailed behind Shunsuke silently, first into a shabby lift that creaked ominously as it made its way higher and higher, 2nd floor, 3rd floor, 4th floor, 5th floor.

_Ding_!

The lift doors opened onto a gray, thinly carpeted hallway and Naruto followed Shunsuke to a front door which read No. 157 on its surface in black, shiny letters. The man jangled his keys, expertly picking a small silver one out of the mixed jumble he held. The door opened with a click.

Inside, the apartment was not as bad as Naruto had been expecting considering the flickering lights in the hallways and the strange smell in the creaky lift. It was no 5-star, a simple room with a black couch, TV and bare, white walls. A brown coffee table sat in front of the couch, and adjoining the living area was a kitchen, separated only by a small island, making a nicely-sized living room cum kitchen.

A few doors were set mysteriously in the walls branching off to what were presumably the rest of the apartment. The dull-coloured blue carpet was littered with stray crumbs and dustballs, and general dust and rubbish lay on the surfaces of the kitchen island. Old takeout boxes and bottles sat on the coffee table and dirty dishes were scattered around the kitchen area. Shunsuke was clearly no housekeeper.

Still, Naruto was just grateful there _was _a carpet, and there _was_ a coffee table. Such luxuries appeared only in the staff room or offices of the Hellhole, and Naruto used to sneak in there sometimes just to lie on the thick carpet and walk around on it softly, pretending he was walking on a cloud. He wriggled his feet as he stood in the middle of Shunsuke's apartment, clutching his bag. Shunsuke, for his part, went to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He gulped it down and gave a sigh of satisfaction as if he'd just suffered a long day's work. He stood there for a while, seemingly lost in thought while Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably next to the sofa, wondering what he should do. Shunsuke must have noticed him again finally because he put his beer down and leaned on the island counter.

"All right, kid, " he said. "Here's the deal. I don't want you around." _No duh._ "Circumstances..." Shunsuke looked pained as he said the word. "Circumstances have forced me to take you here. I don't want to see you, and I definitely don't want to hear you. You are to be a ghost in this flat, you got me? I don't want to hear about your life. I don't want to make friends. This is a business arrangement. You can do whatever you like as long as you don't get into trouble and keep out of my way."

He paused. "Oh, and find a job because I'm not going to let you sponge off me. You'll earn your keep and you'll help keep this apartment clean."

He motioned to the cluttered mess surrounding him. Then he walked over to a door and opened it. "This is your room. Do whatever you want in here, but don't wreck anything or you'll be out on the street before you can blink. Cause me trouble and you're out. Get in my way or annoy me and you're out."

With this speech over, he settled himself down on the sofa with his beer and switched on the television.

Naruto said nothing. What was there to say? He stared at the back of Shunsuke's head for a moment and then walked into the small box room and closed the door.

Within a few minutes he had arranged his belongings in the room. There wasn't much, his parent's photograph sat on the nightstand and everything he had shoved in a small cupboard crammed between the wall and the bottom of his bed. _His_ bed. He liked that.

"It might not be home." he said to his parents. "And he might not want me here, but I've got my own room, I can do whatever I want, and best of all, I don't have to watch my back all the time now."

His parents smiled back at him from the photo, their arms around one another's shoulders. Naruto liked to think they were showing their support. He wriggled under the covers of his bed fully clothed. It smelt a bit earthy, like damp and mould. He'd have to wash it at some point, but for now he didn't care. He'd slept so badly last night from excitement, barely grabbing a few hours of sleep, and now he was tired. Waking at 6am hadn't helped. He took the photograph off the nightstand and tucked it under the crook of his arm.

"G'night." he murmured, and with the sound of the TV blaring through the thin, wooden door and the late morning sunlight streaming through his blinds, the blonde boy fell asleep.


	3. A New School

Cloud Cover

Chapter 2: A New School

_"One of the most obvious facts about grownups to a child is that they have forgotten what it is like to be a child."_

_~ Randall Jarrell_

"You can't not let me go to school! I have to go." yelled Naruto.

"You need to get a job and earn yourself some keep." snarled Shunsuke in reply.

"But it's school. I'm only 15. It's illegal for me not to go._ Illegal." _

Shunsuke narrowed his eyes.

It had been three days since Naruto had arrived at Shunsuke's apartment, and true to his word, Shunsuke had barely spoken to him. Naruto, for his part had stayed out of his way, going out for most of the day, wandering around town. He'd gotten to know the main places - the supermarket, the newsagents, the park, etc. He had cleaned up the apartment, which in his opinion looked a lot better. Shunsuke hadn't even mentioned it. He spent most of the day at home, rising late, eating, drinking beer and watching TV, only going out now and then for a few hours at a time. Naruto had no idea where. It was obvious he didn't have a job. Naruto had looked for some after-school job for himself though there wasn't much around, but first he actually needed to be going to school. He didn't say it to Shunsuke, but Naruto had dreamed of going to a school where the others didn't know who he was, where he could have a new start...make some friends. Maybe, just maybe, the people at schools here wouldn't remember his past. In his fantasies, he was the most popular guy there, surrounded by friends, happy smiling. It was cheesy, but hey, it was his fantasy. He could be as cheesy as he liked.

"Why do I need to get a job anyway? Don't you have an allowance for me staying here?" he asked.

Shunsuke curled his lip. "The state barely gives me anything. If you want food and clothing, you're going to have to earn your own money."

Naruto let out a snort of derision. "They don't give you enough to buy me food?"

Shunsuke gave Naruto a look so icy, he was surprised he didn't freeze on the spot. "I have taken you in and given you a place to live, a fucking roof over your head. If you don't like it you can go back."

Naruto swallowed. "Look, I know you don't like me." Shunsuke grunted his agreement. "But it'll take me a while to find a job. If I go to school, I'll be out of your hair for most of the day. Then I can try and get an after-school job and I'll be out for even longer." Shunsuke began to look interested. "But...I can't get a job if I'm not even at school. No one would hire me if I'm illegally skipping school, right?"

* * *

><p>Naruto sat back on the stiff-back office chair feeling extremely pleased with himself. He hadn't actually expected Shunsuke to agree, but it seemed that the motivation of having Naruto out of the way was just too much to resist.<p>

The principal was a stern-looking man with a tired, heavy face and round owlish glasses that made him look ten years older than he was.

"So, Naruto Uzumaki. Is that correct?" he looked down at Naruto as if he was a stain rather than a teenager. Naruto wanted to glare back, but instead smiled politely.

"Yes, sir."

Shunsuke shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Naruto has been put in my care temporarily until a more suitable arrangement can be found. I would appreciate if you can help with his education during this difficult time."

Naruto stared at Shunsuke in surprise. Where had that flowery speech come from?

The principal, meanwhile, was looking at Shunsuke sympathetically over his wire-rim glasses and nodding, "Yes, education is, of course, important for every kind of person."

He glanced at Naruto reluctantly. "We will do what we can to help your situation, but if I may say, we do expect certain standards at our institution. If Naruto here can't adhere to our rules, we will not be held responsible and will take any necessary actions including suspension or expulsion if necessary."

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. Why did everyone expect him to want to burn places to the ground?

Shunsuke simply nodded. "Of course. I would expect no less from Konoha High School. I know this place has excellent disciplinary and educational standards."

The principal looked smugly pleased at this statement.

_Suck-up_, thought Naruto. Then again. Whatever got him into the school.

* * *

><p>Naruto yawned and stretched. He'd slept surprisingly well considering it was his first day. Shunsuke had ignored him since the day they'd seen the principal. He spent most of his time out who-knows-where and the rest of it getting drunk on the couch.<p>

Naruto shrugged off the thoughts as he pulled on his shirt. He'd saved some money while at the home, keeping it safe by burying it outside of the grounds. It had been enough to scrape together for his school books and some food, so his bag felt wonderfully heavy as he picked it up, filled to the brim with his brand new school things. He crept quietly out the front door. Shunsuke was probably in bed in a drunken stupor, but there was no point in risking his anger.

Naruto managed to find his way to the school on foot. It had taken over an hour. He reckoned he could do the journey in about 40 minutes now that he knew where to go. He stared up at the big concrete building. Teenagers were filing into the main doors, their heads bobbing past the windows as they all rushed to their classes.

Naruto took a deep breath_. No need to be nervous. You can do this._

He took a step forward only to have someone's meaty shoulder slam into him. His breath was knocked out of him and he fell to the ground, landing in the dust.

"Watch where you're going, newbie." A hulking blonde student was looking down at him with a mocking smile. His friends laughed as they began to walk away.

Naruto scrambled to his feet, yelling after them.

"What's wrong, not got enough brains to walk in a straight line?"

The senior turned to look back at the smaller blonde, surprise evident on his face. He started to walk back to him. Naruto stubbornly stood his ground. He could take this dumb jock. One of the guy's friends grabbed the senior's arm.

"Just leave it, Kenta. We're going to be late."

The senior shook off the arm and snarled, "You're lucky this time, freak, but I'll be seeing you around. That's a promise." He spat at the ground near Naruto and walked inside the main doors.

The teen let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Bastards weren't going to ruin his day. This school was going to be different, no matter what.

He was picking up and dusting off his bag when he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.

**Dong! Dong! Dong!**

The clock on the school building rang out unfeelingly, pointing its callous hands to 9am.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck! I'm gonna be late!" cried Naruto.

The grounds were empty. Naruto picked up his rucksack and ran into the school, forgetting for a moment that he had no idea where to go. He was completely unaware of a pair of dark eyes at one of the windows that had been watching all these events. The eyes stared passively onto the empty courtyard for a few moments before they turned to face the teacher at the front of the room.

_Hn, another boring day of school_.


	4. A Fresh Start

Cloud Cover

Chapter 3: A Fresh Start

_"Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must."_

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

* * *

><p>"Morning everyone. I can see you're all excited about another <em>amazing<em> day of school." Kakashi said pleasantly to the sea of faces before him. They stared back, dull and blank.

"Today's enlightening topic is, you guessed it, maths."

A blonde girl in the front row groaned. "You say this every day. Can't we break routine just once?"

Kakashi's eyes sparkled and he lifted his finger in the air, taking a deep breath.

"Now, Ino-" But Kakashi was interrupted in making his no-doubtedly witty and irritating reply when a blonde blur came hurtling through the door. It stumbled and fell into an awkward heap of limbs.

"Ugh." it said, and the class and teacher stared.

Naruto got up slowly, rubbing his head. He'd hit it on the floor when he'd tripped. He looked up at the teacher sheepishly.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Kakashi smiled although it was hard to detect considering he wore a mask on the lower part of his face. Instead his eyes crinkled up. "You'll be the new kid."

Naruto nodded, and stared at the odd mask as he picked up his backpack from the ground for the second time that day. He grabbed it the wrong way, however, and books and pencils fell out of the buttoned flap which had opened from the fall. They spewed from his backpack like it was willfully spitting them onto the floor and Naruto ran quickly around to pick them all up. The pencils ran away to hide under the desks and people's shoes. The class had simply gaped at him at first, but at this sight, they collapsed into laughter.

"Aaaaahahahahaaa!"

"Run, new kid, run!"

"Gotta catch 'em all!" yelled one student, sending the class into further hysterics.

Naruto's face burned red as he stooped to pick up the last pencil next to a blonde-haired girl's desk. She made no effort to help and laughed openly, turning to whisper something to the girl next to her, who let out a bark of laughter which she quickly muffled with her hand. It looked like she was having a coughing fit. Naruto just picked up his things and shoved them in his bag.

"I am sure you'll make a lasting impression at Konoha, Naruto. Please take a seat next to Kiba and Sasuke over there."

Kakashi motioned him to the seat (at least sparing him an introduction) and Naruto held his head high despite his face still being beet red as he walked down the aisle of snickering students to the desk he had been assigned. He was between a guy with brown hair and weird red stripes on his face (still clutching his stomach with laughter, "Nice entrance, mate!" he said.), and a kid with jet black hair and a very sour expression on his face. Curiously, he was one of the few who was not laughing. Naruto felt a spark of hope which was extinguished as soon as the boy looked at him with the utmost contempt. Naruto glared back and sat down heavily on his chair, slamming his bag onto the desk and just staring at the wooden surface in front of him. _So much for a good first impression_.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day wasn't much better. Naruto was completely lost in the classes. The curriculum here was way ahead of the 'Safe Haven School'. Worst of all, Kakashi had given him a 'buddy' to help him find his classes and show him around the school. That 'buddy' had been the kid with the black hair, one Sasuke Uchiha, who had been kind enough to desert Naruto after the first class.<p>

He was relieved when it was finally lunchtime and he stood in front of his shiny, new locker...well, his old, scruffy locker, but to him it was new. He opened the door and pulled out a box. He'd packed some instant ramen especially, and even pre-cooked it and packaged it in a take-out box beforehand. It would be cold, but he didn't care. He loved ramen hot or cold. It was a good thing too because he wouldn't be eating much else until he got a job, unless he could sneak some of Shunsuke's food without him noticing. Unlikely. The man was surprisingly observant and unsurprisingly short-tempered.

Naruto looked up in surprise to see Sasuke standing next to him.

"What, don't tell me you've actually grown a conscience and decided to show me around?" asked Naruto, shocked.

Sasuke didn't even look at him.

"No." he said simply and opened the locker next to Naruto's. _Ah._

Naruto slammed his locker door shut. People here had laughed at him so far_. Fine_. He'd already made an enemy of that stupid blonde senior. _Big deal_. He was used to enemies. He was used to contempt at the home, used to being laughed at and even used to being bullied. But what was with this guy? He seemed to think Naruto so far below him he wasn't even worth considering. It made his blood boil.

"What is your problem? Do you have a stick shoved so far up your ass it's caught in your throat?"

Sasuke turned to look at him, his dark eyes slightly widened. In shock? Surprise? Who could tell. They narrowed.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

Naruto couldn't hold back a challenging sneer. "I'm saying, bastard, that you're a stuck-up snob, born with a silver spoon in your mouth and a pole up your ass."

_Shut up, Naruto. Shut up! _His mind screamed at him. _This is __not__ how to make friends. _

But his mouth ploughed ahead without his brain.

"I'm guessing that's why you find it so hard to string two words together and walk like you've been shot in the ass."

Sasuke took a step closer to him, his eyes burning into Naruto's.

"And you're nothing but another stupid, babbling idiot who craves attention because your mummy and daddy don't give you enough. Poor. _Pathetic_. Little. Child."

Naruto saw red. "Bastard!" he yelled and swung out his fist at Sasuke's smug, stupid face. It connected beautifully with his jaw and Sasuke looked at him in shock for a moment, clutching his face. Then he launched himself at Naruto, landing a punch in his stomach. Naruto doubled over in pain but he recovered fast, and the next moment the two boys were punching and kicking for all they were worth. Sasuke was a good fighter, but Naruto was tough and determined, so they kept even as they struggled. Sasuke landed a blow on Naruto's jaw who swiftly followed back with a punch to Sasuke's eye.

Other students had gathered around, forming a circle and started yelling and chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Dodging and lashing out, pulling hair and kicking shins, the two of them took openings and cheap shots wherever they could.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" shouted a loud, booming voice.

The next moment Sasuke and Naruto were pulled roughtly apart. A tall teacher with a scarred, rough face loomed over them, glowering at Naruto.

"Fighting on your first day, Naruto? I would expect no less from an Uzumaki."

"But I - he-" stammered Naruto. He wiped at his bleeding lip at a loss for words.

"Detention for a month, and I'll be talking to your guardian."

"Hey, Sasuke was fighting too!"

Sasuke looked at him blankly. The teacher ignored the statement, grabbing Naruto's arm.

"Let's go see the principal, you and I."

He dragged him away leaving Sasuke staring after them in some confusion.

"Sasuke-kun, are you ok?"

"Oh, he hurt you!"

Sakura and Ino rushed over to him, fussing over his rapidly swelling eye. Sasuke ignored them. That teacher,Mr. Ibiki, hadn't even glanced at him after the fight. It's like Sasuke hadn't even been involved. Not that he wasn't glad to have dodged some punishment - Mr. Ibiki was strict - but it was like he hadn't even been there.

* * *

><p>Naruto was hauled roughly into the principal's office. Ibiki's hand holding his arm tightly. Principal Stein looked up from his papers, eyeing the intruders warily.<p>

"What's going on, ?"

He pushed Naruto in front of him.

"This student," he spat, "was caught beating up another boy."

"Wha-I wasn't!" started Naruto.

The principal held up his hand for silence and looked at Naruto sternly over his stupid wire spectacles. He was so annoying with that patronisingly father-like attitude.

"It doesn't surprise me that you were caught bullying, Naruto. However, I had hoped you could hold off for at least the first day."

"I wasn't bullying him! We were both fighting." cried out Naruto in frustration. "Sasuke insulted my parents."

Principal Stein was unmoved.

"Sasuke Uchiha? Sasuke is a model student, never in trouble." He paused as if considering. "If he insulted your parents perhaps he had good reason."

Naruto opened his mouth in shock at this, but closed it again. This was useless.

"I'm sorry." he said through gritted teeth. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. It won't happen again."

Naruto clenched his fists tightly. Ibiki moved forward.

"Principal Stein, I was thinking a month of detention would be suitable punishment. I will oversee it and try to knock some sense into this one." He motioned to the blonde boy next to him.

Naruto swallowed visibly. He hoped he didn't mean that literally. Judging by his appearance, Ibiki would have no qualms over 'knocking sense' into people.

"That sounds like a reasonable plan, Mr. Ibiki. I'll trust him to your rehabilitation."

He looked at Naruto with that _you-are-a-stain _expression.

"No one will be able to say that we didn't try to improve you."

Naruto clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms.

"But," continued Stein, "If I see you in this office again, for _any _reason, you will be expelled on the spot. This school does not tolerate delinquents. Do we understand each other, Mr. Uzumaki?"

Naruto nodded stiffly. He didn't look at Stein's face for fear he would want to break those stupid glasses with one well-aimed punch. _Maybe I am a delinquent_.

Ibiki nodded and pulled Naruto out of the office, still protesting. He turned to Naruto.

"Your detention will begin tomorrow. You will meet me in Classroom 45B after school at which time we will begin an improvement plan. I expect to see you there sharp at 1600 hours."

He gave the boy a stern look, as if daring him to complain before walking away down the hallway.

Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets and headed in the other direction.

"Great. Now not only have I lived up to my reputation, half my lunchtime's been wasted." he said mournfully to himself.

He jogged back to his locker through the now quiet halls and grabbed the pack of ramen out of his bag before dashing off to the cafeteria. The room was filled with laughing and talking students, and Naruto made his way through the tables looking for a seat. The cold stares he received when he neared any of them didn't look promising.

Over at the far end of the large room, he could see Sasuke. Those two girls who had laughed at him that morning were sitting near him, talking enthusiastically, often at him, but he seemed to ignore them. A bunch of guys sat with him too, including that red stripey-faced boy from earlier. Naruto felt a surge of jealousy.

What right did Sasuke have to act so miserably when he had everything? He was good-looking (much as Naruto was loathe to admit it), popular, cool, even the teachers loved him apparently. He had everything Naruto didn't, yet there he sat like a miserable, spoilt prince who hadn't gotten a pony for his birthday.

At that moment, the spoilt prince turned to look in Naruto's direction. Their eyes met and Naruto mustered as much hatred as he could in one look. He turned to find an empty table when something caught between his legs. The next moment his ramen was flying through the air and Naruto was sent sprawling to the floor.

**SPLAT!**

The ramen landed squarely on Naruto's head, noodles and sauce running through his hair. Everyone in the cafeteria stopped talking for a millisecond and then began to laugh and clap as if Naruto had just performed some amazing feat.

"Oops! Sorry, freak." said a voice next to him. "Next time try to actually look where you're going."

Naruto stood up quickly, his face red with rage and embarrassment. He pulled noodles out of his hair and glared at Kenta, who smiled back.

"There something you want to say, freak?"

Yes, yes there was. Naruto wanted to scream out his rage and beat this stupid guy to a pulp. But no, he wasn't that person. He wasn't a monster, and he would show everyone he wasn't.

So, he shrugged, picked up his ramen cup and grinned at Kenta.

"Guess I'm a bit of a klutz."

He waved and bowed to the rest of the students, pulled some noodles off his head and popped them in his mouth.

"Eeew!" squeaked a girl nearby. Naruto winked at her and went off to the toilets to wash his lunch out of his hair. When he got there, he gripped the sides of the basin and stared at himself in the mirror.

"Get it together, Naruto." he said. "This is just one bad day, just _one_, bad day."

He took a deep breath and plastered a grin on his face. That was better. No students, no teachers, no stupid jocks could get an Uzumaki down. He fluffed up his hair. It didn't look too bad after the impromptu rinse and blowdry under the hand heaters.

"The rest of the day will be better." he said, smiling at his reflection. His empty stomach grumbled its disagreement.

* * *

><p>The day did get marginally better. He was still the laughing stock of the school (the students had oh-so-creatively started calling him 'Noodle Head'), but for Naruto this was still a great improvement to being hated. The other students left him alone for the most part, only snickering and talking about him now and then. It seemed that most of the people here didn't know or remember the Uzumaki Incident of Konoha, something for which Naruto was very grateful, and he planned to keep his surname as quiet as possible. The less it was said, the less people would wonder about it.<p>

If the teachers remembered, which they must do since it happened during their generation, they didn't show it and they largely ignored him. There was even one who didn't appear to despise him, despite knowing his last name. Maybe it was because Naruto actually managed to get there to the class in time. He'd overheard the pink-haired girl saying she had English, so he'd discreetly followed her to the next period. The bright pink hair hadn't been too hard to lose sight of.

She was actually quite pretty when she wasn't laughing at Naruto. Her skin was a lovely creamy white and her hair like cherry blossom framing almond-shaped green eyes._ Ugh_, thought Naruto, _now I'm getting all poetic_. _Well,_ a_t least it'll prepare me for this class._

He slumped down at his desk. The teacher came in after a few minutes and smiled brightly at the class.

"Afternoon everyone. We'll be continuing 'Lord of the Flies' today, so if you can all turn to chapter 3." The teacher glanced at his notes. "Oh, just a moment. We have a new student today, is that right? Could you please stand up, Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto reluctantly stood. He would never understand why teachers put the new kids through this humiliation.

"Welcome, Naruto. I hope that you will enjoy your time here at Konoha High School. My name is Mr. Iruka. I understand that you may not have covered this book yet, but if you need any help during this class, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you." replied Naruto in some surprise. He sat back down. This teacher was the first to actually welcome him. It gave him his first glimmer of hope. There and then, Naruto decided he would become stellar at English, just to show them all that he could do well at something.

Immediately after school, he rushed home and shut himself in his room. He picked up the 'Lord of the Flies' and spent the rest of that evening, lying on his bed reading, his only reprieve, to stop for a cup of steaming hot ramen which made his empty stomach extremely happy.


	5. Expect the Unexpected

**AN: **Thanks to midnight-camillia and LadyLibra for my first ever reviews! :) It means a lot to me since I've never shared my writing with anyone. I'll do my best to update regularly. My aim is to have the story finished by early May, so hopefully I'll meet my target. There's a lot to happen yet though!

I have also added a prologue and tweaked the first chapter a bit too since I thought the beginning was a bit weak and rushed to start off with. I wanted to delve into his past a little more, so the reader could get a feeling of his life at the home and a bit of background on his story. Anyway, thanks again and I hope you can continue to enjoy reading.

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 4: Expect the Unexpected

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one."

~ James A. Froude (1818 - 1894)

* * *

><p>The next day Naruto woke up with a feeling of determination. Today <em>would<em> be better. Today he would be Mr. Super-Friendly, Super-Calm and Super-Cool.

He got to school and shoved his stuff in his locker. A pencil fell out of his backpack, rattling on the metal. Naruto shoved it back inside and peered at his bag. It was getting pretty worn, not surprising since he'd had it a few years, but some small holes had started to form along the seams. Maybe he could find something to sew it up with in the Home Ec. room? He checked his wallet. A couple of shiny coins sat in the bottom. They looked lonely.

_Crap, I'm going to have to find a job soon or I'm not even going to have enough to eat let alone repair stuff_, _but how am I supposed to do that when I've got freaking detention for the next month?_

He sighed and closed his locker door, only to see Sasuke next to him, looking straight at him.

"What?" he growled.

_Crap._ So much for being friendly.

"Nothing." replied Sasuke. "I'm just interested to see how you're going to mess up today."

Naruto felt his anger flare up. "Fuck you, Uchiha!"

Sasuke was nonplussed. "You should learn to control your temper, Uzumaki."

"Or what?" said Naruto with a challenging smirk. "I kicked your pansy ass yesterday. You can believe that!"

Sasuke just raised an eyebrow.

"What? You actually thought you won? If that teacher hadn't pulled me off you, you'd have gone home crying."

"I don't cry, bastard. You'd have been the one off snivelling to your stuck-up mummy and daddy."

Sasuke's eyes flashed. He slammed the locker door shut and took a challenging step forward.

"You want to find out, loser? Anytime you wanna go, we'll go."

Naruto glared at him, clenching his fists. He couldn't. He _couldn't. _He'd get thrown out. This was probably just what Sasuke wanted. Naruto took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

"Look-" he began, when someone knocked him from behind and he went flying forward -_ into Sasuke_.

Sasuke stumbled backwards into the wall behind him, then his eyes widened into complete and utter shock as he felt Naruto's lips press to his. Twin blue mirrors of surprise stared back at him and a moment later Naruto jerked away.

"Aaah! Yuck!" yelled Naruto.

He scrubbed his lips with his hands like they were diseased even though they had really only brushed the other boy's. Sasuke in his turn resisted the urge to wipe his own. He wasn't going to show that it had bothered him.

"Just - just stay out of my way, bastard, and I'll stay out of yours." said Naruto, his voice shaking slightly.

"Sounds good to me, loser." replied Sasuke and walked coolly away, leaving Naruto still scrubbing at his lips, muttering, "Gross!"

Naruto tried very hard to pay attention in classes that day, anything that would take his mind off that embarrassing situation.

_Ugh,_ he thought_, I can't believe my first kiss was with a guy, how humiliating_.

On the upside, no one had seen. The last thing Naruto needed was to be branded as gay and a freak. That pink-haired girl would never look at him then.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed relatively smoothly. Naruto knew by now he'd been branded a loser, but it was better than being a monster. He sat down at a virtually empty table in the cafeteria away from the other students and wolfed down his ramen in peace although some girls looked at him with distaste and whispered to one another while he stared back, noodles hanging from his mouth. After school it was time to face the music. Naruto steeled himself as he stepped into classroom 45B at 4 o' clock on the dot. Ibiki was sitting at a table poring over some papers. He looked up sharply as Naruto entered.<p>

"So you managed to make it on time at least." He stood and seemed to size Naruto up. "Well, Uzumaki, there is one foolproof way that I have never found to fail in dealing with behavioural problems, and that way...is discipline. It is my belief that there are no problems that cannot be corrected by discipline."

He glared at Naruto as if daring him to disagree. Naruto said nothing. It was hardly the shock of the century.

"First of all, you are going to clean this entire classroom from top to bottom, every bookshelf, every desk, every skirting board will be spotless within one hour.

"What? I can't clean it all in one-" started Naruto.

"Rule number 1: No complaints. You're in detention. Do not expect a pleasure cruise. This is punishment and you _will _learn from your mistakes if I have anything to do with it. Understood?"

"Yeah." replied Naruto gloomily.

"Yes, sir!" barked Ibiki.

"Yes, sir." repeated Naruto.

Ibiki handed him a cloth and a cleaning bucket.

"Get to it."

Naruto looked around the room in dismay .

"This'll take forever."

Ibiki glared at him.

"Then you'd better get started."

He went back to his desk and propped up his feet.

"You want to say something?"

Naruto held the bucket so tightly his knuckles turned white at the challenging look Ibiki gave him. Finally, he let out a sigh, relaxing his grip.

"No." he muttered.

"Didn't think so." replied Ibiki, picking up his sheaf of papers, he continued working.

_Someone has definitely been in the army_, thought Naruto dejectedly as he started scrubbing the first desk in a long, looong row of desks.

Naruto did a fast-paced crazy clean as the hour began running out. He stood panting as he stared at his handiwork. Books and stray papers had been tidied neatly away and the desks practically shone. He turned to Ibiki with a triumphant grin.

"All done."

Ibiki put down the papers he'd been reviewing and walked around the classroom slowly, running his finger along the surfaces of the desks and inspecting them carefully.

He bent down a few times before returning to his own desk and picking up his papers again. Naruto waited expectantly for a few minutes.

Silence.

He cleared his throat.

"Um, Mr. Ibiki. I've cleaned everything. May I go now?"

Ibiki put down his papers.

"You are not finished."

Naruto gaped at him.

"But I cleaned the classroom top to bottom just like you asked!"

Ibiki stood and grabbed Naruto's arm. He pulled him towards the desks.

"Look!" He bent down and scraped some dust off the leg of the desk, showing it to Naruto.

"You've completely missed the legs, the underside of the desks, the parts of the shelves under the books, the blackboard, the floor. It's a pathetic attempt."

_The blackboard? _This guy was insane_._

* * *

><p>By the time Naruto finally finished with Ibiki's reluctant approval it was 7pm. He ran home in the dark arriving at the apartment. He tried to open the door.<p>

It was locked.

_Great._ Shunsuke must've gone out and he had downright refused to give him a key. Naruto banged on the door. No reply.

"Aaargh!" he cried out, pressing his forehead against the door dejectedly. "Could my life suck any more?"

He slumped down, his back to the door and turned to see a small boy with a shock of red hair standing in the hallway, holding his teddy bear and just staring. Naruto stared back.

"It's been a bad day." he said by way of explanation.

The kid just stared silently. It was slightly eerie.

"Don't suppose you can pick locks?" he asked, only half-joking. The kid stared.

Naruto sighed.

He opened his backpack and pulled out his lunch. It was empty. Curse his stupid stomach. Why had he eaten it all?

"Ugh, I'm so hungry. Stupid backpack" he said and pushed it over. It fell with a dull thump. The boy in the hallway started and disappeared down the corridor. Naruto ran his hands through his hair.

"Just you and me, eh?" He said to the 'Lord of the Flies' book that had spilled out of his bag. He picked it up and began to read, absorbing himself in a world of lost islands and frightening adventure. He had really gotten into the story when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. Naruto looked up quickly. Standing before him was the red-haired kid, clutching his teddy bear still, but he had something else in his other hand which he held out towards Naruto. It was a small chocolate bar.

"Where did you get that?" asked Naruto.

The boy said nothing, just continued to hold it out.

"Is that for me?"

The boy held it closer to him in reply, frowning slightly now.

Naruto gently took the chocolate from him.

"Thanks, kid. That's really nice of you."

He opened the bar and popped a piece in his mouth. His eyes closed in pleasure. It had been so, _so _long since he'd had chocolate. The boy was watching him intently when Naruto opened his eyes.

"This is awesome. Do you want some?"

He held it out to him. The boy took an instinctive step back.

"Don't worry," said Naruto. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

The boy reached out tentatively and grabbed a piece, snatching it back towards him in one quick movement. He chewed it carefully, his big green eyes still on the spiky-haired teenager. Naruto grinned.

"You're all right, you know. What's your name?"

The boy just chewed the chocolate silently.

"Hmm, you really don't talk much, do you? Well, what can I call you?"

He thought for a while. The boy waited.

"Got it! How about Red? You know, cos of your red hair."

The boy gave him a look that said, _That the best you can come up with?_

"Well, you think of something if you're gonna be fussy." grumbled Naruto. "Until then, your name is Red."

* * *

><p>Naruto didn't know exactly how long he waited in the hallway with his silent companion. Hours?<p>

The evening passed with him chattering on about whatever came into his head. He told Red about the foster home he'd come from, the people at Konoha High. He glossed over the worse parts, but he couldn't help spilling out the odd complaint, particularly about one student.

"It's so annoying." he said. "This guy is so stuck-up and full of himself, but he acts like the sky has fallen on his head. I just - ugh! He's so annoying!" Naruto shivered as he remembered the kiss. Red just looked at him. The constant staring unnerved the teen a little.

"Anyway, " he continued, pouting slightly, "There's a whole bunch of other people that are annoying too, but I've decided I'm going to make friends with them. I'm going to become so awesome they won't be able to help themselves." He grinned, basking in this image of himself. Then frowned.

"There's a girl there, Sakura. She's really pretty and smart, but all she does is go all gooey-eyed over the bastard." He looked quickly at Red after the swear.

"Uh, I mean, Sasuke."

Red was nonplussed.

Naruto relaxed suddenly and grinned at him.

"Sorry I'm being so whiny. I should be grateful really. I've got a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food in my stomach." He winked at Red. "Thanks to you anyway."

The boy gave the tiniest smile and Naruto grinned hugely in response.

"So what about you, Red?" he said. "What's your story?"

Red looked away and stared stonily at the wall. Naruto's grin faltered.

"That bad, huh?"

The two wide green eyes turned back to look at him.

Naruto sighed. "I'd say it'll get better, but, you know, it might not. All I can say is, hang in there, be strong enough to pull through it." He laughed wryly. "Still, that's easier said than done, isn't it?"

The boy pulled his teddy bear to him tightly.

"I tell you what." said Naruto. "How about when I have my own place, you come live with me?"

The boy's eyes widened slightly, and Naruto couldn't tell if it was because he liked the idea or was utterly terrified at the idea of living with him and considered him a freak for even mentioning it.

Before he had a chance to backtrack what he'd said, a voice floated down the hall.

"Looks like the cleaners forgot to clean up the scum in the hallways."

Naruto looked up. Shunsuke was stumbling towards him, his arm around a rather scantily-clad girl. She was tittering and giggling drunkenly while Shunsuke appeared lucky to be conscious, leaning heavily on the girl. Red was off like a shot down the hallway and out of sight, and Shunsuke let out a bark of laughter.

"Kid runs fast."

He turned to look at Naruto.

"What are you doing skulking in the corridors? Get losst."

Naruto stood up quickly.

"I was waiting for you to get back home. You locked me out."

Shunsuke just stared at him, his eyes unfocused.

"If you gave me a key-" Naruto began.

"Fuck off!" shouted Shunsuke "You can wait all night. Ahm busy."

He gave the girl a sloppy kiss. She giggled as they parted, but turned wondering eyes on Naruto.

"Who's this, Shun? Your kid?"

"Wha? _Him?" _Shunsuke laughed. "No chansse. Thish-" He paused a moment, as if it took all his willpower to form a full sentence. "Thiss is Naruto Uzumaki, sson of the - the Uzumaki Bandits. You remember them, eh, Crystal?"

'Crystal' (_seriously?)_ thought for a moment and Naruto could practically hear the drunken gears in her head grinding slowly.

"Oh yeah!" she cried finally. "Weren't they the traitor cops? Went turncoat and got a whole load of people killed."

Naruto clenched his jaw tightly, but Crystal kept talking.

"I remember. Yeah, they were like double agents or something and they made a big huge mess of it all."

"Yeah," agreed Shunsuke. "The state actually pays me extra to keep him they want rid of him so bad."

_Extra? They pay him extra? The asswipe lied to him!_

Crystal leaned forward, faltering slightly. The sweet, sickly scent of alcohol drenched his senses.

"You're their son, huh? Not much to be proud of do ya?" she paused, as if considering him for a moment and then stood up straight. "But I'd still do ya!" she said with a shriek of laughter.

Shunsuke wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Urgh! Crystal, don't say stuff like that."

He opened the door, pushing Crystal ahead of him. Naruto went to follow them in when Shunsuke turned in the door frame.

"Where d'you think yer goin?"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Inside."

"Did ye no' hear me? I said '!'" He tried to close the door, but Naruto stopped it with his foot.

"But I have nowhere to go!"

"Not my problem. Get lost!" Shunsuke gave Naruto a hard shove, sending him hurtling into the wall behind, and slammed the door.

Naruto growled, rubbing his shoulder where it had hit the wall. He ran back up to the door and started banging hitting it as hard as he could with his fists.

"Let me in, you fucking bastard, or I'll call the police and get you arrested for abuse!"

The door opened a crack. "Go ahead." said Shunsuke harshly. "Yer think they give a fuck about the son of the Uzumakis? Worsst that'll happen is ye get carted back off to that dump I picked you up from. Ye wan' that?"

"At least I got food and a bed there." replied Naruto.

Shunsuke grinned. "Go on then. Call them. Lessee how far you get. You wanna go back? Go ahead. Or spend all night banging and yelling at the door. Like ah give a fuck."

The door slammed a second time.

Naruto took a few paces back and slid down the wall in resignation.

"Bastard." he said to the closed door.

He looked up the hallway, and could swear he saw a shock of red hair disappear out of sight.

_I guess he won't be coming back to visit._

Naruto lay down onto his side. It was going to be a long night. He propped his backpack under him into a makeshift pillow. Maybe he could sneak in in the morning when Bar Skank had left for her walk of shame home. So, with that hope in his mind and the vestiges of anger burning in his veins, Naruto fell into a fitful sleep.


	6. Fear and Fate

**AN: Thanks again for the reviews! They're really encouraging and give me so much motivation to write. And yes, ShurikenC, Red is indeed Gaara. :D Poor little, eyebrowless Gaara. :( My guess is Naruto won't be finding out his name or backstory till later. ;)  
><strong>

**I should mention that although this story is based in a US high school (because I just associate high school with the US), I'm actually from the UK. I've used American slang and whatnot for the most part, but I don't know a thing about American football. For that reason, any time I talk about football, I mean UK football (soccer). Just something to keep in mind as it may feature a bit later.**

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 5: Fear and Fate

_Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know._  
><em>~Daniel J. Boorstin<em>

* * *

><p>Naruto slipped in and stole through the empty hallways, his shoes squeaking conspicuously on the linoleum flooring. What was it about schools that made them all smell the same? He got to the locker room, practically threw off his clothes and a moment later was basking in a glorious cascade of beautifully hot water. Naruto could have stayed under the stream for hours, but a niggling voice in the back of his head told him people would be arriving soon and the teachers wouldn't be happy if he was using the school showers.<p>

Naruto dried himself off, towelling his blond hair as it fell into its natural crazy spikes. He got back into his uniform, the uniform he'd slept in. He sniffed the shirt. It didn't smell too bad. He could probably get away with it without anyone noticing.

It was 8.30am, half an hour till school started. Naruto grabbed his stuff and left the locker room, turning into the corridor. In his hurry he almost knocked into someone coming the other way.

"Shit, sorry." he said quickly.

Two eyes as round as dinner plates stared back at him. It was a boy he'd seen in a few classes, kind of hard to miss. He looked a bit odd even by Naruto's standards with a terminally uncool bowl haircut framing thicky, heavy eyebrows and those abnormally round eyes.

"Hello." he said, his eyes seeming to widen even further. "What were you doing in the boy's locker room?"

Naruto shrugged and the lie flowed easily off his lips. "I left something in there the other day."

The boy steadily held his gaze and Naruto started to feel nervous.

"No you weren't." came the simple reply. "I know why you're here."

Naruto could feel heat now creeping up his neck.

"What are you talking about?"

"You!" shouted the boy, pointing an accusing finger in his face. "You were here to spy on my secret training weren't you?"

Naruto blinked. "I...Wait, what?"

"Hah! You knew I was training secretly to become the best football player in Konoha and you were spying on me so you could watch my secret techniques!"

"Wha-? No, I wasn't! I don't even play football!"

The boy folded his arms and looked at Naruto sceptically.

"That's just what a spy would say."

Suddenly, his mood completely changed and he grinned.

"It doesn't matter anyway. No one could keep up with my exercise regime. I run 500 laps every morning and Gai gave me special permission to use the gym in the mornings."

He looked at Naruto in shock as if seeing him for the first time.

"Wait, were you planning to join me in my morning runs?" His eyes began to actually sparkle. "We could rejoice together in the beauty of our youth!"

Naruto backed away slowly.

"Uh, n-no, you're all right. Like I said, I just came in to get something from the lockers."

"My name's Lee, Rock Lee. What's yours?" He asked, completely ignoring Naruto's last statement.

"Um, Naruto."

Lee stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Naruto."

Naruto took it and had his arm practically broken off by Lee's energetic handshake. The teen was strong.

"So, Lee." He said casually once he was given his aching arm back. "What sort of time do you get here in the mornings?"

"6am sharp."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "6am? Why?"

"It takes at least 2 hours to finish my exercise regime.

"Whoa, that's intense." said Naruto.

In the back of his mind, he was sighing with relief. If Lee was here from 6am every day that meant the school would always be open when he got here..._if_ he got locked out again. Things weren't looking up in that department.

Lee had started stretching now, twisting and pulling his arms into different positions. This guy did not keep still.

"Hey, Lee. Uh, do you know anything about lockpicking?"

Lee suddenly looked furious and his face turned beetroot red.

"I knew you were a spy! Prepare to fight!" He stood in a defensive stance.

"Wait! Wait!" said Naruto, putting up his hands. "If I was a spy, why would I need to ask you about lockpicking? Wouldn't I already know?"

Lee deflated immediately. "Good point. Hmm, well, I'm afraid I don't know much about that. You'd need to ask Neji. He's good with gadgets and mechanisms and all that. He'd probably know."

"Neji. Got it. Thanks, Lee." He grinned. "See you around?"

Lee replied with a very intense thumbs-up. Naruto could practically see his teeth glisten as his mouth turned up into a great big, cheesy grin.

"Most definitely, Naruto-san."

Naruto grinned back, almost as widely and headed down the corridor.

* * *

><p>Naruto Uzumaki kept a look out for the Neji kid that morning though he was tough to find considering the blonde had no idea what he looked like.<p>

He laid his head down on the cool, wooden desk as he waited for the teacher to arrive. Last night had been exhausting. He'd barely gotten any sleep and had spent most of the night in the hall reading. A couple of people had passed by giving him odd looks, but they'd said nothing, and neither Shunsuke nor Bar Skank had stirred that morning. If he could pick the lock...

"So are you going to hand it in to Neji today, Sakura?"

Naruto looked up quickly. It was the blonde girl who spoke.

"Yes." replied a feminine voice and the pink-haired girl held up some papers. "I managed to finish it before the deadline, so he'd better say something nice this time."

"I doubt it." laughed the other girl, flicking her hair back. "Even if it's perfect, he'll find a typo or something."

"If he does, I'll hit him. I really will. I worked hard on this."

Naruto summoned his courage and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me."

Two sets of eyes turned to look at him.

"I need to talk to this Neji guy. Do you know where I'd find him?"

The blonde girl gave him a once over, an expression of disdain growing on her face.

"What do _you_ need to talk to _him_ for?"

Naruto licked his lips. His mouth suddenly felt dry.

"It's about, well, uh it's private."

This was obviously not the right answer to give because the girl narrowed her eyes.

"And what could you have to say that's even slightly important?"

"It's no skin off your back, is it?" growled Naruto, his hackles rising. "I just wanna speak to him."

The blonde girl didn't answer, pursing her lips and looking at her friend.

"Fine, whatever. I'll just ask someone else." said Naruto.

Sakura sighed. "Ino, he'll find out anyway. If we just tell him he'll leave us alone." Naruto felt a sharp pang of pain at those words, but the pink-haired girl turned to him. "You can find him in the newspaper room pretty much all the time when he's not in class, all right? Just don't tell him I told you. He hates people disturbing him."

"Sure." he replied. The two girls turned away from him, whispering to one another. Naruto ignored the aching feeling in his chest and stared out the window.

"Good morning, everyone." said Mr. Iruka as walked into the classroom. "We'll be concentrating on literary style today, so you can leave your books." He said as a few students including Naruto pulled out their editions of 'Lord of the Flies'. "Remember, English Literature is Mondays. Today we'll be trying to put into practice some of the writing tips we learned."

Well, that was news to him.

Still, Naruto listened intently during English class that day as Iruka outlined some practical writing exercises.

"I would like you all to try and write your own short story containing a moral or a satire on Western society. You will have till the end of the semester to complete it, but it_ will_ count towards your grade." said Iruka, and the class let out a collective groan. "Don't worry." he continued. "We will be studying 'Lord of the Flies' in-depth so that you all know what I will be expecting from you."

The bell rang and students packed up, leaving the class as Iruka shouted after them. "See you on Friday for grammar!"

Naruto hesitated as he passed the teacher.

"Do you have a question, Naruto?" said Iruka. His kind tone was inviting, but the blonde boy still looked uncertainly at him.

"It's uh, about this book." He held it up.

"Oh yes, don't worry if you're having trouble with it. I know you have some catching up to do and I'll take that into consideration."

"It's ok. Um, I finished it last night actually."

Iruka raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You read it all since Monday? Wow, I'm impressed. It's a pretty heavy book for your age."

Naruto shrugged, unsure of what to say. He'd never actually been praised before, and he was hesitant to actually admit to what he was going to say next.

"Um, the thing is...I, well, I'm not sure I really understood it."

He waited for the curling lip, the look of derision, the scathing insult, but it never came.

Mr. Iruka simply smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly.

"Well, we're studying it now because it's a very complex subject. I would be surprised if you felt you understood it all completely, Naruto." He frowned slightly. "It's about human nature and even the wisest of men don't completely understand human nature. Did you have any specific questions?"

Naruto immediately felt lighter.

"Uh, well, it might sound stupid-"

"I won't think it's stupid."

Naruto wasn't so sure. He had a feeling he'd missed the point of the whole book.

"Why did they kill each other? Why did they all become so cruel, so fast?"

Mr. Iruka grinned.

"That, Naruto, is the question of the whole book. The question of human nature."

"I'm not sure I get it."

Iruka leaned against his desk, looking thoughtful.

"People can be cruel, can't they?"

"Yes." said Naruto immediately, and then looked away. "I mean, I guess."

Sympathy flashed over Iruka's face, but it had disappeared by the time Naruto looked back.

"Well, this book examines the cruelty of human nature, the cruelty of society. It asks, 'Why are people cruel?', 'What drives society?', 'What is man's true nature?' These are all very difficult questions and many people have come up with many theories. Let me ask you this though."

Naruto nodded.

"Why do you think they killed each other?"

Naruto thought for a moment before venturing an answer.

"I guess, greed."

"Very good." said Iruka, "There was a power struggle, wasn't there? One of the characters was volatile, he wanted to be in charge, but why do you think he wanted that? Why do you think people followed? What motivated the chain of events that happened? These young schoolboys were stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere. There was no one to help them. They had to rely on themselves. Why do you think things went so badly for them all? Why do you think they killed one another?"

The realisation hit Naruto.

"Fear." he murmured.

"Exactly." agreed Iruka.

"Fear drives cruelty." Naruto said, half to himself. He'd never noticed it before. All the people who had hated him, who'd hurt him. Was it because they were afraid?

Iruka smiled and clapped his hands together. "You've hit the nail on the head, Naruto! People are cruel because they fear. Greed plays its part too, but it is fear that drives and motivates people to greed, to try and obtain power and control, to commit crimes, to hurt one another. Fear of others, fear of oneself. Fear is arguably the most dangerous part of human nature. It can cause the kindest, mildest people to band together and become monsters."

_Monsters._The word hit Naruto like a blow to the chest. _Fear makes monsters._

Somehow the very idea of it was frightening. Fear had never seemed like a malicious thing to Naruto, but now when he thought about it, there was a darkness in fear, like it was its own entity. The constant threat of it broiling up and choking you.

"Naruto, are you ok?"

Iruka was looking at him, the concern evident on his face. Naruto flashed him a grin.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for explaining it to me. That really helped."

Iruka relaxed. "I didn't really have to explain, Naruto. You knew it." He smiled. "You're more perceptive you know, and smarter than you realise. I think you should trust your instincts a bit more. I can already see you have a natural aptitude for this sort of thing."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, again lost for words at this unbidden praise. "I, uh, thanks, Mr. Iruka."

"You're welcome. If you have any more questions in future, about anything, not just English, you can always ask me."

Gravity had left Naruto's world and he left the classroom feeling lighter than air. This was better than walking on cloud carpets. Iruka was officially the coolest teacher in the world.

* * *

><p>Naruto's high lasted all the way through lunch as he ate his ramen and floated back to his locker. He ignored the weird look shot at him from the dark-haired bastard as he passed by him grinning, and arrived at the newspaper room.<p>

There was a notice on the outside of the door.

Editor: Neji Hyuuga

Assistant Editor and Photographer: Hinata Hyuuga

Reporters: Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Tenten Takenaka

_Great._ So this guy ran the school newspaper. Just what he needed, a snoopy reporter type.

He knocked on the door.

"Come in." said a voice from inside.

Naruto stepped in. A pale dark-haired boy was seated at a desk staring intently at the computer screen in front of him. He didn't look up at Naruto when he entered, only tucked a strand of his waist-length hair behind his ear and started to type.

_Weird._ This guy had hair like a metal head yet he was dressed like a total prep.

"What do you want?" he asked in a slightly irritated tone, still not looking at him.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Are you Neji Hyuuga?"

"What gave it away, genius?" he replied.

Fuck, what was with this guy?

"Hey, you got a problem? At least look at me when I'm talking to you, jackass."

This got a reaction from the monotoned boy and he looked up with moonlight pale eyes, his brow raised.

"Ah, the new kid. You've managed to build yourself quite the reputation in a very short time."

The fuck was that supposed to mean?

_Backtrack, Naruto, backtrack! Be friendly, _he thought desperately.

"Look, I didn't meant to snap or anything. Uh, Lee told me you could help me."

""He did, did he?" Lee's name did not seem to improve the boy's mood. "What did he say I could help with exactly?"

"He said you might know about lockpicking. I wondered if you could show me how."

The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You don't mince words, do you? Show you how to pick locks? A guy I barely know with possibly the worst reputation in Konoha."

Naruto could feel anger beginning to swirl within him, his pleasant high beginning to fade.

"It's not like I want it for anything illegal."

"Just the legal type of lockpicking then." Neji said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I mean no...Just..." Ugh, this was awkward. "To get into my apartment."

"I usually find a key works best for that."

"Yeah, _thanks _for that_._" replied Naruto matching the boy's sarcastic tone. "Obviously, I don't have a key or I would use it." He ran a hand through his hair. "I lost my key, ok? And I can't afford a new one."

"Don't you live with someone?"

"Yeah, uh, but they can't afford it either."

The pale eyes did not look sympathetic. He stood and walked towards Naruto. The boy was slightly taller and was currently looking at Naruto as if he was an insect.

"I am very good at telling when people are lying to me. So, Naruto _Uzumaki_," he said, stressing his last name. "Why don't we try this again and you tell me why you really want to pick a lock."

Naruto sighed. "I really do just want to get into my apartment."

Neji said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"My guardian won't give me a key, ok? And sometimes he's out...and even when he's in he doesn't always let me in. So, yeah, that's why I need to learn to pick the lock, just that one lock, that's all. I don't want to steal or anything. I just want to get in so I can sleep there at night."

The boy raised an eyebrow at this speech. He was quiet for a moment, considering, before he finally spoke.

"You know, as a reporter, it's up to me to keep myself informed of anything and everything that occurs in this school." He gave Naruto a piercing look. "It's interesting. I could find out very little about you. Why is that, I wonder?"

"I-I don't know, man."

"I was intrigued so I did a little digging. I know all about you, Naruto Uzumaki. I know your past. I know about your parents and what they did - the covert unit that ended up betraying the whole town."

This was turning bad fast.

Neji continued, "When I mentioned you had come to my school, my parents told me not to associate myself with you."

He paused. "Lucky for you, I don't put much stock in what my parents say."

A spark of hope lit in Naruto. "So...you'll help me?"

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Unluckily for you, I believe people should use their own strength to get past their problems."

"What?"

"It's your problem. You shouldn't be asking people to bail you out. I'm not going to teach you something like that if you are too stupid to figure it out for yourself. I taught myself these things, and I got where I am on my own strength, no one else's."

_What. a. prick._

"Sorry for actually thinking there would be a single, decent person at this dump." growled Naruto. "So, what? You taught yourself a few skills. You think you're a big shot?" he smirked. "Listen up, Hyuuga. You're editor of the school newspaper. I'm going to be fucking _mayor_ someday, and when I'm at the top I'll remember you and your crappy little newspaper and laugh."

Neji smiled for the first time. "Mayor? Is that your plan? Surely you've realised your fate."

Naruto curled his lip. "I don't believe in fate. Fate's for people with excuses."

The taller boy stopped smiling. "You should just give up now, Uzumaki. I know my place in life. It's time you realised yours. You are at the bottom rung of society. The sooner you realise and accept that, the sooner you can get on with your life."

"Fuck you." replied Naruto, narrowing his eyes. "I _will_ be mayor and this whole city will acknowledge me. Just you wait and see, Hyuuga."

He left the newspaper room, slamming the door behind him. His mind was raging. Those pleasant feelings felt like a distant memory under the cold contempt of Neji Hyuuga.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ah, Neji. You truly are a massive douchebag.<strong>

**Just to mention, I haven't officially studied the book 'Lord of the Flies' or anything. I read it ages ago and the above is the conclusion I came to regarding the message, so if I've got the complete wrong end of the stick of that book, meh. There are so many themes I think it's easy to pull out a lot of things from it. I'm sure there are more accurate book reports online, but what Iruka said is simply what I drew from it. I recommend it as a read although it's pretty harrowing, just to warn you.**


	7. Turning Point

Cloud Cover

Chapter 6: Turning Point

_Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does._

_~William James_

* * *

><p>Days passed in the same ilk. The few nights Naruto was left locked out, he would spend them in the hallway. Sometimes he would sit at the door, a small paperclip in hand as he tried to work at the lock, seeing if he could figure it out, but it never helped much. The paperclip would bend and the lock stayed solid as a rock, mocking his futile attempts. Sometimes his silent companion would show up and he would talk and talk until he couldn't talk anymore, and then they would just sit in silence.<p>

Always, little Red would just stare at him wordlessly, drinking in everything he said. When Naruto finally nodded off, he would wake to find that little spiky-haired kid curled up next to him, a small ball of warmth fast asleep, breathing gently. If an adult looked for him or worried during those nights, he certainly never saw them and it made him wonder how any parent could harm or neglect such a young kid.

* * *

><p>School also continued in the same vein. People ignored him. Classes continued. Detention dragged on. Naruto left the classroom one Tuesday afternoon dog-tired. Ibiki had, <em>once again,<em> found criticism, but Naruto had managed to finish only 15 minutes after the 1 hour deadline. He was getting good_._ And he grinned to himself as he walked along the hallway.

The school halls were quiet, only a few lights left on in the odd classroom. Naruto bypassed the school newspaper room and noted the hairline crack of light shining under the door.

Neji was still hard at work. Did that guy even have a life?

He reached his locker along the hall and was about to open it when he heard voices from around the corner_. Kenta. _The blonde teen froze.

If Kenta came around that corner, he could fight or run. If it wasn't on school time he wouldn't get expelled for fighting, right? Then again he was on school grounds...

Naruto opened his locker as quietly as he could, listening intently.

"Come on, don't be a prude." the senior was saying in a wheedling voice. "I like your type, you know. shy girls."

Naruto heard what sounded like a small squeak.

_The fuck?_

"Yeah, big tits are good too." laughed another guy.

"Shut up, Goro!" said Kenta, and then went back to wheedling. "Come on, you don't need to be shy around me. I can be a really nice guy to girls like you."

Naruto heard what sounded like a whimper and that was it. He slammed his locker door shut, took a deep breath and walked into view.

Cornered against the wall was a small girl with long dark hair and eerily pale eyes, reminiscent of Neji's. Kenta surrounded by his lackeys, loomed over her, his hand on the wall next her head.

"I-I'm s-sorry." she stuttered. "I-I n-need to go and meet Neji. He-He'll be wondering where I am."

"Aw, come on. You should hang with us. The party's right here."

He put a hand on her waist and the girl squeaked, trying to move away. Naruto's voice cut across the boy's mocking laughter.

"She wants you to leave her alone, asshole. Or are you too retarded to take the hint?"

Kenta moved quickly away from the girl, but relaxed when he saw the blonde teen standing in the hall.

"Well, look who it is, guys. Noodlehead!"

The girl moved toward Naruto, but was stopped when Kenta grabbed her arm.

"Where you running off to, babe?"

Naruto took a step towards them.

"Let her go, fucktard."

The other two seniors circled round his back, cutting off escape while Kenta held the girl.

"This your little girlfriend, freak? Or are you just a wannabe stalker?"

Naruto shot him a pleasant smile. "Let her go, asswipe, or I'll break your fucking face."

Kenta grinned and pushed the girl away roughly. She gave a cry as she hit the lockers lining the wall and fell to the ground. Naruto ran over and helped her up.

"Th-thank you." she whispered.

The blonde boy didn't get a chance to reply before he saw a fist flying towards him. It struck him in the jaw and he stumbled against the lockers, bumping into the girl beside him. He recovered quickly, seeing Kenta aiming another punch in his direction and dodged to one side. Kenta gave a yell of pain as his fist hit the metal of the lockers. Naruto took that chance to punch him hard in the stomach and gave a well-aimed kick to his groin.

The senior went down with a groan, clutching his privates, but Naruto didn't get a chance to move before he felt his arms pinned behind him, the guy named Goro holding him in a vice-like grip. The other lackey was coming at him from the front, so Naruto moved fast. He jerked his head backwards, catching Goro a stinging blow to the face. He let go of the blonde with a cry and Naruto dodged aside as the third guy threw his punch. It hit Goro square in his stomach.

"Fuck, Goro! Sorry!" yelled the senior and then groaned with pain. Naruto had punched him hard in the stomach. He threw a swift uppercut to his jaw and the guy went down.

Kenta meanwhile was scrambling to his feet, still wincing in pain and caught Naruto a blow to the back of the head. He stumbled forward, his vision blurring, but turned quickly and threw a blind punch, getting Kenta in the eye.

The senior pulled back a little, his hand to his face, but it wasn't enough to make him go down and he stood glaring at Naruto while Goro and his companion recovered, both getting to their feet.

Naruto shifted his stance slightly, moving to stand protectively in front of the girl, his fists raised.

"Here's an idea." said a voice next to them. "How about you leave my cousin the fuck alone and I kick all your asses."

Naruto stared in amazement as Neji walked up next to him and surveyed the scene calmly.

"3 against 3 seems more fair, don't you think?"

"N-Neji." said Hinata, sounding as shocked as Naruto felt.

"All right." said Naruto with a grin. "Let's do this."

But Kenta didn't make a move towards them. He laughed snidely.

"You guys aren't worth my time and neither is you slut of a cousin."

Neji moved in a flash and Kenta fell to the ground, his nose gushing blood. He got up quickly and backed away, dashing down the hall, his two friends following swiftly behind.

The pale-eyed boy turned to face Naruto.

"I heard the noise and I saw what you did for Hinata. So, thank you."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Sure, no problem. Those guys are jerks anyway.

"Neji." whispered Hinata.

Neji glared at his cousin.

"You should have been more careful. And where did all your training go? You didn't lift a finger to stop them."

Hinata bowed her head.

"Hey, it's not her fault." interrupted Naruto. "3 senior guys against one junior girl? Not exactly a fair fight."

"Yet you took them on." replied Neji evenly. "And Hinata has had the same jiu jitsu training I've had. She could have defended herself."

"I wouldn't have lasted much longer if you hadn't come along. Besides, they hadn't hurt her till I showed up." He turned to Hinata, flashing her a grin. "I bet if the need came for it, you would kick some ass."

The girl gave the strangest reply. She squeaked and turned bright red.

"Either way," cut in Neji. "Thank you...for helping her. We're indebted to you."

Naruto's eyes widened. _Traditional much? _He grinned then, turning to Neji with a mischievous glint in his eye. "You mean that?"

The dark-haired boy looked confused for just a moment before he sighed.

"Yes, I will teach you how to pick locks."

Naruto punched the air. "Kick-ass!" He grabbed Neji by the shoulders. "I'll be awesome at it in no time, you'll see."

"I have no doubt." replied Neji dryly. "But tonight we have to get the newspaper to print, so you can start becoming awesome tomorrow."

Naruto grinned and released him. "You ok?" he asked Hinata. She was staring at him and, in response to the question, nodded mutely, her face still crimson.

"Ok, then, well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." replied Neji.

"S-see you." whispered his cousin red-faced.

Naruto walked home that evening with a big grin on his face despite his sore jaw. The day was made even better when the apartment door opened with a soft click. Tomorrow was going to be a good day.


	8. Catalyst

**AN:**

Sorry you had to wait a little longer for this update. I've been writing different snatches of the story (some bits further ahead), so it's all getting put together like patchwork as I fill things in. Goodness, writing is so addictive. I've been having a million other ideas for stories while writing this, but I'm determined to get to the end of this first. I know the pace is a little slower than some fics, but I like stories to develop more naturally rather than forcing things, so I'm trying to pace myself. _rock19_ I'm sorry. You'll have to be patient for sasunaru! I think this is going to end up novel-sized by the time I'm done. _

Thanks to _Narutopokefan, ShurikenC, sugardash, rock19, Final Syai Lunar Generation_ and _kittenkitt11_ for the reviews! I don't think I thanked you by name yet. Your comments are such an encouragement, having never had my writing critiqued before. I don't mind if I don't get many reviews, I'm just pleased you're enjoying the story so much, and _kittenkitt11_, being told it's like reading a novel is such a huge compliment. I'll do my best with this story and hopefully it won't disappoint.

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 7: Catalyst

Things do not change; we change.

~Henry David Thoreau

* * *

><p>The next day at lunch Naruto sat alone as usual munching on his ramen when he felt a tap on his shoulder.<p>

"Mind if I sit here?"

A grin spread over the blonde teen's face when he saw who it was.

"Sure thing, Neji."

The pale-eyed boy took a seat opposite him placing a tray of cafeteria food on the table, a mix of some nameless salad and an unidentifiable meat. Naruto was suddenly glad he had ramen.

"The food here gets worse every year." muttered Neji.

"You need to start making your own lunches like me."

Neji peered at the cold ramen dubiously. "You call that making lunch? Thanks, but I'd rather get _some_ nutrients as opposed to eating pig swill."

"Hey! Don't knock ramen. It's awesome."

"H-hello." said a voice.

Naruto looked up to see Hinata, her face crimson. He was beginning to think it was permanently that colour.

The blonde boy gave her what he hoped was a friendly smile. "Hey, Hinata. How's it going?"

Hinata blushed a deeper shade of red. "F-fine, thank you. I, uh, I have uh, something f-f-"

She didn't finish her sentence, instead bowing her head and holding something out to him, avoiding his eyes. Naruto looked at the package in her hands. It was wrapped in soft green cloth.

"Uh, is that for me?"

The girl nodded mutely.

"Th-thank you." Great. Now Naruto was stuttering. But this was the first time anyone had given him anything. He put the box on the table and opened the cloth carefully.

Inside was a small container. He took off the lid and was met with the most delicious aroma. Small rolls of sushi were arranged neatly in the box in a beautiful array of colours, and two small rice balls were tucked in the corner.

Naruto swallowed. His throat stung a little.

"I-it's to say thank you." said Hinata quietly, "B-but you don't have to eat it if you d-don't want to."

Naruto looked up at the girl in amazement.

"Are you kidding? This is the most beautiful meal I've ever seen!"

Hinata blushed to the roots of her hair and gave a muffled squeak before sitting down with a plop next to her cousin.

Naruto meanwhile popped a piece of sushi into his mouth and closed his eyes.

It tasted of heaven, the delicate flavour washing over his taste buds.

"Thish ish sho goog!" he said through a mouthful of food and proceeded to hoover up the meal as if he'd just come through a ten-year famine. Hinata was still blushing, but a shy smile had appeared on her face.

"How come you've never made me lunch?" asked Neji, slight grumpiness in his tone.

"S-sorry, Neji. You can have mine."

The boy rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to take your lunch, Hinata."

"T-then I'll bring you some tomorrow."

"It'll make a nice change from this." he said, lifting his fork and letting the mystery meat slide off.

"Thanks." he added almost inaudibly, but both Hinata and Naruto heard and grinned at one another. Neji wasn't so bad underneath all that coldness.

"So, when are you going to teach me to pick locks, Hyuuga?"

"Well, I'm guessing there's just one you want to pick, am I right?"

Naruto nodded whilst Hinata looked quizzically between the two boys.

"If you can find out the make of the lock, I can tell you how to crack it."

"Awesome. I'll check it tonight." said Naruto with a grin. "Thanks, man."

Hinata said nothing, tactful enough not to enquire or perhaps too shy.

After that the two boys kept most of the conversation flowing throughout lunch although Neji also was rather quiet in a 'man-of-few-words' sort of way. Now and then Naruto would aim a question at Hinata, but the girl would turn bright red and let out a barely inaudible answer, quickly hiding her face behind her hair, so in the end Naruto did most of the talking.

"So, what's your deal?" he asked Neji abruptly at one point.

The boy blinked. "My deal?"

"Yeah, you know, the whole 'people need to do things for themselves and we're all stuck in our place on the social ladder' deal." He looked at Neji intently. "You really believe that?"

There was an uncomfortable pause. Hinata was looking at her cousin with a mixture of pain and sympathy while Neji returned Naruto's gaze calmly.

"Yes, I do believe it. There's a social order to life and there's only so much we can do to change that."

"Neji-" began Hinata, but the boy ignored her.

"I find it...amusing that you want to be mayor, Naruto. I mean, you know it's never going to happen, right? As soon as people know your last name, they'll hate you. How do you seriously expect to gain people's approval, to be accepted in this school, let alone an entire city?"

Naruto was about to retort when-

"I don't hate him." said Hinata quietly. Any words he planned to say died in his throat as he gaped at the girl.

"That's because you don't know who he is." replied Neji evenly.

"Yes, I do." Hinata blushed as she felt the eyes of both boys on her, listening intently to her every word.

"I, uh, that is, my father told me all about the Uzumaki Incident, and-and everything that happened, so I-I know, and I don't hate him." Her eyes flickered towards Naruto.

She turned to her cousin and gathered her courage

"And-and neither do you, Neji. S-so what does that say?" With her speech over, the girl retreated again behind her curtain of hair. Both boys were staring at her in astonishment.

"I-" began Neji. Then he stopped, seemingly at a loss for words. Naruto, too, wasn't sure what to say.

"I guess I know what it's like for people to expect you to be like your parents." muttered Neji finally. He cleared the remaining food off his plate and stood up.

"I have to check over some articles before the next class. Excuse me."

Hinata began to get up. "I-I'll help you."

"No." replied Neji. "You should finish your food. I can complete run over them myself."

"O-ok, Neji." the girl said, sitting back down. She bit her lip as Neji walked away.

"You ok?" asked Naruto.

Hinata nodded, though she looked distracted. There were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Naruto ate his lunch, but Hinata didn't touch her food.

"M-my father is the president of Hyuuga Enterprises." she said suddenly. Naruto blinked. Well, now that he thought about it the name was somewhat familiar. Hyuuga Enterprises. Weren't they the conglomerate that dealt in medical supplies? He'd seen the name on medicine bottles.

"I, uh, Neji's father works f-for mine. N-Neji loves the company and I know he wants to run it someday, b-but he's being trained for a low-level position whereas...I, um, I'm being trained for the presidency." She stared at the table and whispered. "I don't even want to be president."

Naruto quirked a brow. "So don't be."

Hinata's head snapped up.

"If you don't want to be president, don't be. Let Neji be president."

Hinata sighed. "It's not that simple. Our families-"

"Screw your families!" said Naruto heatedly. Hinata turned red. "N-Naruto!"

"I mean it. Your parent's lives are not your life. Hell, if we all followed in our parent's footsteps I'd be a mass murderer." Naruto felt a twinge of pain as he uttered those words, but it was true.

"They expect me to keep the company in the family."

"Neji _is_ family, isn't he?"

"Y-yes, but..."

"Basically, they just want to keep the power as closeknit as possible, am I right?"

Hinata blushed. "I-, well, yes, I suppose so."

"That's stupid."

The girls eyes widened.

"Power's always changing hands anyway, but you think Neji would do a good job, don't you. Besides, he's still family. If anything, you guys should both be president or partners or whatever. Then everyone would be happy. It should be for the good of the company, not for the good of the people at the top."

"I-I don't think that they'd allow that, Naruto. It's...it's tradition."

Naruto grinned. "You're going to be president someday, Hinata. That means you call the shots."

The girl stared at him with wide eyes.

Hinata Hyuuga calling the shots was a very foreign concept to her indeed...

* * *

><p>Naruto said goodbye to Hinata as they went their separate ways to class. He didn't see Neji for the rest of the day.<p>

Detention was the same old affair after school bar one thing. Naruto completed it _on time! _He stood there grinning with satisfaction as the scarred teacher walked slowly around the room, inspecting every nook and cranny.

_Find something. Go on. I dare you. _he thought smugly to himself. He had cleaned the classroom top to bottom, every inch covered within the one hour. There was _no way_ Ibiki could find fault.

Finally the man stretched and walked back to his desk.

"So, what do you think?" asked Naruto finally.

"Not bad." he replied.

"Not bad? It's spotless_ and_ I got it done within the time limit!"

Ibiki looked at him seriously. "You thought that was the goal, Uzumaki? This is just the beginning. Tomorrow I want you to clean it within half an hour, and if you don't complete it within the time limit, you'll have to clean the entire classroom twice."

Naruto gaped at the teacher, his mouth opening and shutting like a fish.

"Whaat! Twice? It's impossible within half an hour!"

"It's perfectly possible, Uzumaki. As I recall you thought it would be impossible to finish within the hour...but if you'd like to take your concerns to the principal..."

Naruto glared at him. "No. I'll see you here tomorrow."

He couldn't resist slamming the door shut on his way out. Aaargh! Ibiki was such a ...such a...a _cretin_! Yep, that word was perfect. He slammed his locker door shut loudly once he'd pulled out his things and glared at it.

"What did your locker ever do to you?" said a voice.

Naruto turned to see Sasuke standing in the hallway, holding a pile of books. _Yay. His favourite person._

"What're you doing here so late?" He didn't know why the accusation leaked into his question. Somehow Sasuke always seemed like he was up to no good.

The dark-haired boy shrugged. "Doing research."

"What kind of research?"

Sasuke frowned. "The kind that has nothing to do with you." He shoved past him and opened his locker.

"Geez, were you born a dick or did you just turn into one later in life?"

"I don't know, Uzumaki." said the teen coolly, turning to look at him, "Were you born without one or did you just turn into a whiny little girl over time?"

"The fuck is your problem, Uchiha?" said Naruto with a snarl.

"You're my problem, loser."

"What did I ever do to you?"

The boy stepped towards him, looking at him with steely eyes. "You get in my way. You never shut up. You're like a girl on her period. You get angry and happy at the drop of a hat...In other words, you're annoying."

Naruto laughed. "_I'm_ like a girl on her period? This coming from the grumpiest, moodiest bastard in the school? You act like someone ran over your dog 24/7. You never smile even though everyone's always_, always_ being nice to you. You're always surrounded by friends though fuck knows why. Why the fuck have you got to act like such a fucking spoilt emo all the time?"

He ran his hands through his hair. "Fuck."

Sasuke just looked at him wordlessly before saying.

"I'm not an emo."

Naruto quirked a brow. "Uuuuh, yeah you are."

"I'm not."

"Uchiha, you are the emo-est emo I have ever met in all of emo-dom."

"Just because I don't talk loudly enough to break people's eardrums and walk around with a stupid grin on my face half the day like you doesn't make me emo."

"Well, maybe if you tried cracking a smile you'd develop an actual personality. Let me guess you're depressed cos your grades aren't good enough?" Naruto started waving his arms around as he enacted Sasuke. "Oh woe is me. I've got a 97% grade average, but I wanted 100! Mummy and Daddy will be sooo upset."

Sasuke grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip, fire burning in his eyes. Naruto stiffened expecting a fight, but the boy didn't move to hit him. Instead, he spoke quietly, harshly.

"You know nothing about my life, Uzumaki. You have no idea what it's like to be me."

Naruto glared back. "Maybe not, and maybe your life really is shit. But what I do know is that sitting around sulking about it doesn't help you or anyone around you. You either get over it or you fix it."

Sasuke smiled grimly as he let go of his arm. "Believe me. I'm fixing it."

The blonde teen raised a brow. "Oookay then."

The dark-haired teen shut his locker and walked away.

"Me too." Naruto yelled after him suddenly.

Sasuke paused, turning to look at him.

"I'm fixing mine too." finished Naruto lamely.

Sasuke said nothing. He turned away and continued to walk down the hall.

Naruto waited a while before going in the same direction. He didn't really want to continue that conversation. It had been...weird.

* * *

><p>Naruto woke the next day feeling much better about things. His hair must look a mess as he walked down the street, but he didn't care<p>

_That was my last night sleeping in the corridor_. He thought happily to himself. He'd miss the times with Red though when he did come by. Maybe he'd hang out in the corridor now and then, see if he showed up.

The school shower felt extra-wonderful that morning with the knowledge that he had people to sit with at lunch...at least as long as Neji wasn't mad at him and Hinata. He hadn't been in the best of moods when he left yesterday.

Hinata was in his class that morning and she smiled at him shyly, and in the end they walked to lunch together, met by Neji along the way.

"Hey." said Naruto carefully.

"Hey." replied Neji coolly. He didn't greet Hinata.

"Neji...I-I brought you this." The girl handed him a small box and Neji looked at her suspiciously.

"I-it's your lunch."

"You really made me lunch..." he said quietly.

"I-I said I would."

Neji took the proffered box abruptly and continued down the hall.

"You could at least say thank you." said Naruto angrily to his back.

The boy turned, his eyes burning. "You're not mayor yet, Uzumaki, nor will you ever be, so you don't tell me what to do."

Naruto glared back defiantly whilst Hinata looked unhappily between the two.

"I-it's ok, Naruto, you d-don't have t-to..."

"Let's make a deal, Hyuuga." said Naruto. "If I become mayor, you'll become president of your company."

Neji looked surprised for just a moment before he turned his eyes on Hinata with a stony glare. She hid her face.

"It's not that simple, Naruto." he said, his voice harsh. "Circumstances can't be changed with a mere resolution of_ will_."

"Well," said Naruto, clasping his hands together behind his head and giving Neji a condescending look. "If you can't persuade them you're the right candidate for the presidency, then I guess you aren't qualified to be the president."

Neji stood stock still, staring at Naruto. "You..." he began, then stopped.

"I-I'll help you in any way I can, Neji." said Hinata quietly.

The pale eyes turned on Hinata in wonderment. "You want to help me?"

"Hinata doesn't really want to be president." said Naruto. "But even if they don't let her bow out, I bet you guys could find a way to do it so that everyone's happy."

Neji shook his head in disbelief. "You're an unusual guy, Naruto."

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "So I've been told."

Neji held out his hand. "Deal."

Naruto shook it with a grin. "You'd better hold up your end of the bargain, Hyuuga."

After that, any coldness on Neji's part disappeared and they spent lunch together in the same way.

"Sooo..." began Naruto as they sat down. "I found out the make of the lock."

"What is it?"

"Well, it said 'Yale' on the front."

"What shape?"

"Round."

Neji nodded thoughtfully. "That's good. Probably a common cylinder lock."

"Whatever you say." replied Naruto. "I have _no_ idea what that means."

"Those are easier to crack. My guess is the landlord didn't invest too much in his apartments because it sounds like he didn't install security locks. I can give you the tools you need to pick one of those."

"Awesome!" Naruto grinned. "Thanks, man."

Neji shrugged. "Come by the newspaper room after school and I'll show you what you need to do."

"Ahh, about that..." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I uh, I've got detention."

"No problem. I usually stay at school till late anyway. I'll be there."

After that Naruto couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

* * *

><p>He was still grinning to himself as he walked into class that afternoon. Neji and Hinata had geometry, so they left, but the high of just having friends, people to share lunch with was fantastic. All the desks were taken, so he sat down in the front row, only to find the Uchiha bastard right next to him. Naruto grinned at him. Not even pole-ass would make him grumpy today.<p>

Sasuke didn't smile, but he had the decency to keep his smart mouth shut and they ignored each other until the teacher waltzed in, and waltz in he did.

_What.. _

And Naruto had thought Kakashi looked odd with his mask, but no, this guy won the medal of weird. His skin was sickly and pale as alabaster, paler even than Sasuke's. His hair was jet black and almost waist-length, but it was the eyes that were truly freaky. A golden yellow, slightly slitted and hooded by purple lids. Naruto couldn't tell if the purple was shadow or just natural discolouration, but the whole effect gave the man the air of a slithering snake. He even moved like one, smoothly running his hand along his desk and picking up a sheet of paper with delicate, spidery fingers.

Naruto realised that the room was deathly quiet. He could hear a pin drop as those yellow eyes scanned the room. They landed on him and the lips curved into a thin smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: Dundundun! Sorry to leave you hanging. I'll put the next chapter up tomorrow. Right now my brain has melted from lack of sleep.


	9. ActionReaction

**AN:** My eyes! They burn! I've been writing non-stop since I got home and my brain has melted again. It's now almost midnight and I've written the next chapter, but I've gotta read through it and think about the plot before I publish it. I feel like I'm getting a bit too close to the story to see clearly what's happening. I know what happens in the end, but I need to see what's happening ahead in these chapters before I put too much up for you guys in case I need to change some details later. Still, this chapter should be ok. Hopefully, the story will flow nicely. ;)

Thanks to _anon, ImNotCrazyISwear_ and _mugiwaraboshi_ for your reviews, and of course,_ kittenkitt11_ and _Final Syai Lunar Generation_ for your returning reviews. Lol, I'm cool with being kinda awesome. xD

anon and mugiwaraboshi - I really appreciate the constructive criticism and advice too. I've put my replies at the bottom in another author's note because I'll probably end up writing an essay here, and let's face it, most people don't read author's notes anyway, so they'll wanna skip to the story. ;)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 8: Action/Reaction

_Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have._

~Margaret Mead

* * *

><p>"It's lovely to see you again, class." said the teacher. His voice was quiet, smooth, yet there was an undercurrent of arrogance in the way he spoke.<p>

"As most of you know I have been away contributing to some academic research, but I am glad to be back here among you all."

There was no response from the class, not a word or a smile, but the man didn't skip a beat, continuing smoothly. "I see, however, that we have a new face among us."

He looked at Naruto. "My name is Mr. Orochimaru." Then he glanced at the sheet he was holding. "And you must be..." He looked up again and smiled. "Uzumaki Naruto. Interesting. Would that be any relation to the Uzumaki bandits? Yes, you must be their son, am I right?"

Immediately whispers began to spread through the class, rustling like leaves in the wind as students looked at each other, some with questioning eyes, others with realisation.

"Uzumaki bandits? Who're they?"

"Holy crap. My mum told me about them."

"He's their son? Hell, I didn't realise."

Naruto caught Sasuke's eye. He wasn't whispering just looking at Naruto with a stupid, surprised expression.

Naruto looked away quickly. People were craning their necks to see him now.

Meanwhile the teacher at the front smiled calmly. "Now class, let's begin with our lesson. I believe my substitute was addressing catalysts, actions and reactions."

Orochimaru picked up some sheets.

"Naruto, could you hand these out for me, please?"

Naruto got up slowly and took the sheets. Orochimaru smiled at him pleasantly. "Just share them amongst the class, please."

The death glares he received as he walked around the class were enough to tell the blonde teen how the students now felt about him.

* * *

><p>The gossip must have spread like wildfire because Naruto noticed a difference in the way people acted even as he walked down the hallway after class. They whispered to each other and moved further away as if he was diseased. The angry buzz of people talking followed him everywhere he went and the looks sent his way became harder and angrier as the day wore one.<p>

Naruto stumbled when someone walked into him, shoving him hard with their shoulder and when he looked back they were smirking, high-fiving their friends.

He was glad when the day finally came to an end and he was standing in front of his locker once again. He grabbed his books and turned to see Sasuke coming towards him.

_Oh great._

"Oi, Naruto." he said as Naruto turned in the other direction, heading quickly down the hall.

"Hey, Uzumaki!" he said again.

Naruto turned abruptly. The fuck did he want? To rub it in? To laugh at him? To gloat over the fact that he was better than him after all?

"Whatever it is you gotta say, Uchiha, I don't wanna hear it. Just leave me the fuck alone."

With that he turned on his heel and walked swiftly away leaving the Uchiha staring after him, and a few people open-mouthed at his treatment of the school prince.

* * *

><p>Naruto went straight home after detention. He'd had to clean the stupid classroom three times because there was no fucking way he'd get it done in half an hour. He hadn't even bothered trying to get it done in time and Ibiki had yelled at him angrily making him clean it twice more for his attitude.<p>

When he finally finished, it was late. Naruto didn't even check to see if Neji was still in the newspaper office. He wouldn't be able to associate with him now anyways, so what did it matter? Konoha would just be another 'Hellhole'.

When he arrived home the door opened and he let out a sigh of relief, but paused upon entering as he felt a pair of eyes on him. Red was standing at the end of the hallway, practically invisible in the shadows. Some of the lights were bust, casting broken patches of light throughout the building.

"Hey, Red." he said wearily. The boy said nothing as usual, but he shrank back as Naruto came towards him.

"What's wrong?" asked Naruto, concern now creeping into his voice.

All of Naruto's depressed thoughts about the day were pushed aside when he saw a dark mark on Red's face.

"Red," he said cautiously. "Where did you get that bruise?"

The child shrugged, but he didn't meet Naruto's eyes, turning to fuss over his teddy bear instead.

Naruto grit his teeth. "Who did that to you?"

Red kept his gaze fixed steadily away.

"Red, look at me. Who did that to you? Was it your dad?"

The boy flinched.

"Your dad." Naruto said grimly to himself. Good. He'd been looking for an outlet today. He'd punch that fucker till he couldn't move. "Come on, Red. Let's go see your dad."

The child let out a strangled cry as Naruto moved away and grabbed onto his arm shaking his head desperately.

"It's ok, Red. He won't hurt me, and I won't let him hurt you either."

The boy was practically hyperventilating as he held onto Naruto's arm.

"You're worried he'll hurt you worse?" questioned Naruto.

The boy shook his head.

"Then what? You're worried he'll hurt me?"

He shook his head again. He looked up at Naruto with eyes filled with tears.

Then Naruto's eyes widened in realisation. "You're worried I'll hurt your dad_._"

Red nodded miserably. Naruto sighed and knelt down in front of him. "I'm sorry, Red. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't think..." He paused, searching for the words. "I know he's your dad, but...he's already hurting you. How about this - If we talk to the police, you won't have to live with him, you won't have to go through this."

The child shook his head.

"They'll give you a new home, a nice place to live."

He pointed at Naruto with questioning eyes.

Naruto sighed. "Sorry, but you couldn't stay with me. I'm not even old enough to live on my own yet. They wouldn't let you, and Shunsuke would never go for it. He hates having me around as it is. But..." he smiled at Red. "They would be able to find you a really nice family I bet."

The boy pulled away then and started shaking his head.

Naruto persisted. "Maybe even somewhere close by if we're lucky. We could still see each other. I'd come and visit no matter where you are."

Red set his mouth in a thin line, hugging his teddy bear to him and looking at Naruto stubbornly.

Naruto frowned. "I'm sorry, Red, but I've got to tell the police if he's hurting you."

Red glared at him then and made a motion of locking his lips and throwing away the key.

The blonde teen quirked a brow. "What does that mean? You want me to keep it secret? I'm sorry, but I..."

Red frowned and pointed at himself. Repeating the locking motion, and Naruto finally got it.

"You'll deny everything, won't you?" he said grimly.

The stubborn redhead nodded.

Naruto shook his head. "He's hurting you, Red. What do you expect me to do? Just sit by and watch?"

The child walked up to Naruto and wrapped his arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. Then he pulled away and pointed at himself making the 'ok' sign with his hand. The blonde teen sighed in defeat. "You're ok, huh? Yeah, sure you are."

Red repeated the 'ok 'sign.

"Well, it's not like you give me much choice, do you? It'll just make things worse if I call the police and you deny it." Naruto raked a hand through his hair distractedly. "Listen to me, tonight you're staying with me in my apartment, all right? Just as long as you stay in my room and we don't tell Shunsuke."

The redhead smiled and hugged him again.

"Thank you." he whispered before running into the apartment, leaving a shocked Naruto in the hallway.

Red...could talk.

* * *

><p>It was Monday morning and Naruto dragged himself to school to face the onslaught. The weekend had been a merciful relief to escape the hate he knew would be coming, and he'd spent most of it with Red...mainly trying to get him to talk again, but to no avail. The boy was stubborn as a mule.<p>

Naruto was not looking forward to this day. Would it really just be another 'Hellhole' here? He should've known of course that people would figure out who he was eventually, but he'd been hoping for a little longer to just be Naruto. Hell, even Noodlehead.

"Always look on the bright side, Uzumaki." he muttered to himself as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror that morning. "At least Shunsuke was at home last night. Plus, so far no one's actually attacked you." He grinned at himself. There was always _always_ a silver lining.

Naruto ignored the looks from people as he made his way through the halls, but he couldn't stop a sharp intake of breath when he reached his locker door.

_Murderer, go to hell_

The words were scrawled across the metal of his locker in dark red spray paint. It looked horribly like blood. Naruto yanked open the door while students nearby snickered and whispered behind their hands.

Teachers treated him the same as ever, with complete indifference, but he found himself sitting with a group of empty chairs around him as the class seemed to keep away as far as possible. It didn't matter, he decided gloomily, at least they were leaving him alone. Still, the stubbornness with which people refused to speak or even look at him became a bit depressing.

The day wore slowly on and Naruto sat down despondently at an empty table as far from the other students as humanly possible. He didn't want another day with his lunch on his head thank you very much.

"What are you doing way over here?" said a voice.

He looked up. "Neji." His eyes widened in surprise. "More like what're you doing here?"

The boy quirked a brow. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be? And why didn't you come by the newsroom last week?"

Naruto frowned. "Haven't your heard? My name is all around the school. Everyone will be saying I've gone out and personally murdered people with a sawn-off shotgun."

Neji allowed a small smile to appear on his face at that.

"I've never been one to put stock in rumours. Besides, like I said, I already know about your past." He sat down with his tray at the table. "Nothing I haven't heard before."

"M-mind if I sit here?" said an unmistakeable stuttering voice.

"Take a seat, Hinata." replied Neji while Naruto just stared in amazement. He shook his head, forcing himself from his daze. This was more than he could have ever dreamed, but...

"I appreciate you guys standing by me and all that, but..." He noted nervously the curious glances and venomous glares directed towards him and now being aimed at the two Hyuuga's sitting at the table. He turned to Neji and Hinata, looking at them earnestly. "I don't want you guys getting caught up in this. If you're seen with me it could be dangerous for you. My reputation could damage you both."

There was a brief pause and then the strangest thing happened_. _Neji Hyuuga_... began to laugh._ It started with a small chuckle and developed into a full-blown hearty laugh. He held his sides as he struggled to breathe and Hinata and Naruto stared at him as if he'd grown horns, and who could blame them?

When he finally settled down he said, "Naruto, I can look after myself and-" he grinned. "If anyone so much as looks at Hinata the wrong way I'll make them wish they'd never been born." Hinata's eyes widened as he continued, "I couldn't care less about what the insects at this school think of me. There's one thing you should know, and that is that you never need to worry about the Hyuuga family. We can look after ourselves and bring the fiery rains of hell down on anyone who attempts to harm us, so you can stop your pointless worrying and relax." He sat back. "Besides, I believe I promised I'd show you how to pick a lock."

Hinata was beaming and Naruto couldn't hide his grin. "Got it." he said.

"I thought I heard the energetic voices of my friends!"

Naruto turned to have his vision filled with green. Lee stood in front of him grinning widely.

"Neji, was that you wonderful laughter I heard before? I knew you still held the powerful beauty of youth!"

"Lee-" began Neji, his mouth setting in a thin line.

"And thank you, Naruto." continued Lee. "For bringing out his youthful laughter. You are a truly talented human being."

Naruto reddened. "Uuuuh."

"Lee!" said Neji firmly. "Enough with the youth. What do you want?"

it was back to his usual abrupt manner, but Lee must've been used to it because he didn't turn a hair.

"Ah yes, I should be training, but I just came by to give you this, and when I didn't find you in the newspaper room I thought I'd try here, and now I'm green with envy as I see you all enjoying your youthful lives!"

_Green being the word of choice_, thought Naruto.

Lee held out some papers. "It's my report on the upcoming football practices, meeting times, it's all here. You can distribute it through your newspaper so that all the boys can enjoy some manly competition!"

Football had never sounded so unappealing until that sentence escaped Rock Lee's lips, but Neji took the papers all the same.

"Thanks." he muttered.

"Well, I must continue my training. I can't slack off while Gai-sensei still trains. See you around!"

And with that, the green dynamo was gone.

Naruto looked at Neji. "Gai-sensei?"

"The soccer coach." replied Neji. He scanned through the papers.

"Is he always like that?" asked Naruto, gesturing towards the door Lee had just gone through.

"Always." said Neji with a sigh as he looked over the report. It was written in green pen.

"Hmm. Looks like practices will be twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday. I wonder who'll make team this year." He looked up. "You going to try out?"

Naruto laughed as he stuffed ramen into his mouth and it came out as a kind of nervous splutter, the manly kind of course.

"I dunno, I've never played in a team before." _Or with anyone for that matter_, he added silently. "I wouldn't know how."

"That's what practices are for. You should try it. You'll soon find out if you can play or not."

"I'll think about it, I guess." Although he was really thinking about the opportunities it would give people to injure him.

"Well, I'll be there. Maybe we'd be on the same team." said Neji. Naruto grunted, continuing to shovel food into his mouth, and the pale boy assumed a shrewd look. "Of course, if you're scared..."

Naruto paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. "What did you just say?"

Neji shrugged. "Just seems to me like you're scared you're going to fail. This from the guy who's going to be mayor of the city. If you can't even handle a little ball game..."

Naruto slammed his fork down on the table. "I'm not scared of anything, Hyuuga! I'll become so awesome at soccer everyone will bow down and worship me, including you."

Neji raised a brow. "Oh really?"

"Really!"

"Well then, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at practice." Neji stood and walked away with his tray.

Naruto grinned and yelled after him. "I'll be there and I'll show you how an Uzumaki plays."

It wasn't until that evening when he arrived home, long after Neji had shown him the basics of lock-picking and given him the necessary tools to get into his apartment, that Naruto realised Neji had completely and utterly tricked him into joining the soccer team.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: I'll put the next chapter up hopefully tomorrow, but if not, within the next few days. :)

_mugiwaraboshi_: I know this story has been a bit slow-going with regards to big stuff. I didn't mean for it to be, but it seems I have an inability to make it short. Plus as I mention in my author's note in the prologue, I'm doing an exercise in plot evolution. I just have so many characters to develop and introduce, plus the plot itself has taken a lot longer for the story to develop than I thought. I apologize for the wait, and maybe that's something I can work on in future. I'm still trying to figure out some middle bits of this story, but I felt it would be unrealistic to just make everything horrible in Naruto's life at once. Reality tends to be ups and downs, but I think trying to put in too much background could be one of my weaknesses. It's something I might work on in future by practicing with one-shots. But the warnings were there for a reason. I know what will happen later on, and the drama and big stuff will come...

_anon_: I agree with you about Naruto. I've been struggling with not making him too wimpy, yet I've been putting him in some situations where he can't really fight back without bad consequences to himself. In the prologue he was only 5 and his family had literally just died, so I figured it would be fair enough for him to act a tiny bit pathetic. For the rest of his time at the home, believe me, he would've fought back when attacked, but when you've got groups of people bigger than you ready to bully you anytime you show your face, there's a point where you've just got to avoid them rather than pick fights. There was literally no way to fight them all the time. He would've needed some relief which is why I said he was tough and lean from both fighting and running. He did both. That at least was my thinking behind it, but I was quick with that background and maybe didn't make it clear enough. I'll try and make it clearer throughout the story if I can get the chance and may go back to re-do the prologue someday.

As for when he backs down from his new foster father in chapter 2 (was that who you meant by master?), my reason for that was partly because he needed to be on Shunsuke's good side for a home, and partly because I noticed that in the anime/manga when he was younger, Naruto would fight when physically threatened, but often back down when emotionally rejected which was what happened here. I may have made him too clear-thinking though. It's true he's impulsive and I have to fight my own logic when writing his character because I'm not like that at all. I'll work on that. I'll try and keep the backbone because I hate it too when Naruto doesn't have enough of his strong personality in a fic.

Last but not least, I really appreciate the advice on being more descriptive. I tend to be really wordy anyway (as you'll have noticed from this massive comment and length of the fic!) so I guess I was trying to counteract it by cutting down on description, but if it's making the fic too bland, I'll definitely work on adding more in. I need to be more patient with the pace of this fic because like _mugiwaraboshi_, I kinda wanna get to the drama and action. I should mention though, Kenta is described as a 'hulking blonde' as in muscly/broad/tall, not 'hunky'. I consider the word 'hunky' an abomination in a story unless used ironically, but I take your point about the style of description and will definitely work on it. Your comment about describing scenes to a paralyzed blind man is very helpful and I'll keep it in mind when writing, so thank you very much!


	10. Come Into My Parlour

**AN: **I'm sorry, lovely readers, that I didn't update as quickly as I thought. I was away for a few days and managed to forget my precious notebook which has lots of my writing in it, so I could only do so much. I have been writing like a demon though, and since you've all been so patient, I'm going to put up several chapters tonight. I have written far, far ahead.

Oh, and you may have noticed my name has changed to _Secret Sky_. I chose the last one (_Lost Forest_) quickly for the sake of a name, but I should be holding onto this one (although I'm very changeable, just a warning).

Thanks to Syai, I'mNotCrazy, sugardash, TNTKitten, mugiwaraboshi, Random Person (loving the name) and Miss Light Bright for the reviews again. :D You guys are very kind and encouraging.

Miss Light Bright: Thanks for noticing that mistake. I fixed the timing.

TNTKitten: I've changed the terms to soccer to make it clearer. :) And by 'duped' I meant that Neji essentially tricked him into joining soccer by calling him a coward. It's so easy to manipulate Naruto with his impulsive personality. I've rewritten the end of the last chapter a little to make it clearer. 'Duped' is no longer there. :D

Syai: You're right about the job. I took that on board and addressed it in this chapter. My excuse is Naruto got a bit distracted by detention (but really it was me having trouble fitting everything in!). Sorry, it might be a while before you hear Red's story. ;)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 9: Come Into My Parlour

_You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one._

~James A. Froude (1818-1894)_  
><em>

* * *

><p>"You ready?" asked Neji. Naruto took a deep breath and stood up.<p>

"I can't believe you talked me into this."

They walked out of the locker room and into the already crowded field. It was 5.30pm, but football must've been worth sticking around school for because boys were milling around in groups on the turf. The coach had not yet arrived. He could see Sasuke surrounded as usual by people. _Ugh._ How did he manage to make gym shorts look stylish? It made Naruto sick.

"So how does this go?" Naruto said, ignoring the cold glares he was receiving from across the pitch.

"Well, we'll be learning some basics today, fine-tuning our skills. Then after a bit of practice we play against the current school soccer team."

"Which is?"

"The seniors."

Naruto did a double-take. "Wait, what? We play against the seniors? They're all like a head taller than us."

"Yeah, but they'll be leaving next year. Students from the years below will be taking their places. That's why we try out, so the coach can measure our skills."

"It sounds...weird."

Neji shook his head. "Gai _is_ weird. But he's passionate about soccer."

A moment later, Naruto realised that Neji was right on the mark with Gai. He practically bounced in yelling, "Hello, my youthful students!"

It was bizarre. He looked like a grown man version of Rock Lee, green suit to boot, and he was practically in tears as he looked around at the teens gathered on the pitch exclaiming, "Such zest for life. How I envy and admire you all!"

This man made you want to back away slowly. Everyone it seemed except Rock Lee who practically leapt toward him saying, "Gai-sensei, we want to prove ourselves worthy of the soccer team!"

Gai looked down towards his young doppelganger and grinned. "Lee, so full of spirit. You remind me of myself at your age." _Big shocker_. "Yes, today we practice because next week you'll be put up against some difficult opponents." The man looked around the room. "Take note of everything I tell you, and practice like you've never practiced before. Let's do this!" He pumped his fist into the air.

Moments later, Gai had them all doing exercises until they could barely stand. Then he set them in groups, passing to one another, dribbling the ball between cones and shouting instructions incessantly.

There was barely enough time to breathe let alone talk. Naruto jogged up the pitch with the ball, the sweat pouring down his forehead. It dripped into his eyes, blocking his vision and he wiped at it with his forearm.

"Oof!"

Naruto stumbled as he felt something heavy bump into him and fall back.

"Fuck, sorry." he said automatically to the boy on the ground. It was the guy he'd met on his first day at Konoha High, the red stripes on his face were unmistakeable, and his chocolate brown eyes glared at him now as he picked himself up from the ground.

"Don't fucking touch me." he said and pushed past him roughly. Another boy jogged up to them and looked at Naruto suspiciously. He was odd-looking with dark glasses and practically his whole face hidden by a high collar.

"Everything all right, Kiba?"

"It's cool, Shino." He looked at Naruto. "Looks like Uzumaki here is just afraid of some competition."

Naruto frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You fucking pushed me over on purpose!" Kiba said his voice growing louder.

"The fuck I did. You practically ran into me!"

"Yeah? You wanna make something of it, Uzumaki? I bet sacrificing your teammates to win is something your family do all the time!"

Naruto could hear blood rushing in his head and he lost it. He lunged at the boy, but was held back when Neji moved quickly between them.

"Let go of me!" yelled the blonde boy as he struggled to get past him.

"Naruto," said Neji quietly. "You're better than this."

That stopped Naruto in his tracks, and he stared at the pale-eyed boy.

"You can show them you're better than this."

It was like a switch flipped in his head and the sound of blood pounding in his ears abated. Naruto was suddenly aware of the people around him. Some were still continuing their exercises, but there were eyes on him, watching him_. _

Naruto took a deep breath and pasted a grin on his face aimed at Kiba, who still stood ready to fight. "Look, I'm sorry, man." He said to Kiba. "I seriously didn't mean to run into you. You all right?"

Kiba straightened slightly and frowned. "Yeah, whatever."

He jogged away slowly, his friend in tow.

* * *

><p>Naruto arrived back in the locker room exhausted after the practice. He thought he would fall asleep in the shower it felt so relaxing.<p>

"I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto." yelled Neji from outside the shower room.

"See ya." he yelled back. How did Neji manage to be so fast? Naruto turned off the shower a good five minutes later and wrapped a towel around his waist_. Maybe I'm just slow_, thought Naruto as he walked into the empty locker room.

He looked around. Something...was different.

Then Naruto's eyes widened as he realised what was wrong. Where were his clothes?

He ran over to where he'd left them on the bench. Getting down on his knees, he searched underneath the benches and opened all the locker doors, the metal clanging as he slammed each empty one shut. _Fuck_! He couldn't walk home in a fucking towel!

That's when Naruto realised one of the showers was still running. He walked cautiously back into the shower room and around one of the dividers. There under the stream were his clothes, his backpack too. They lay together in a sodden mess.

Naruto gritted his teeth and turned the handle of the shower, switching it off. Sometimes he really wondered, was it really worth being the bigger man? He glared accusingly at the pile on the floor.

Eventually, Naruto managed to get his clothes somewhat dry. He wrung them out as best he could and dried them under a blowdryer. The backpack...well, there was no saving it till he got home. His books were a thick papery mess and some leftover ramen sauce had spilled out making everything slightly yellowed. An extremely unpleasant smell was now emanating from the bag. He slung it over his shoulder anyway and made his way down the empty school halls hoping no one would notice the slight dampness of his clothes or the squealch of his shoes as he walked.

But as he made his way through the school there was someone along the hallway...at his locker door. Sasuke's back was turned to him as he came up behind. He had his sleeves rolled up, a sponge in his hand and a bucket of some soapy liquid next to him.

"What are you doing?" said Naruto. His voice sounded very loud somehow in the quiet hallway, and he could swear he saw Sasuke jump slightly, but when the boy turned around his face was as calm as a pool of water.

"Cleaning. Obviously."

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked past the dark-haired boy. The red paint from that morning was practically invisible.

"How did you-Why did you...?" Naruto sputtered. He looked at Sasuke in amazement.

Sasuke shrugged. "It was on my locker too. I don't want that kind of mess around me."

Naruto turned back to view the locker. It was true, some smears of the painted message had spread onto the locker beside his own.

"I knew you weren't going to bother to take it off so I figured I would. It annoyed me. You even annoy me when you're not around, letting your problems affect me." Sasuke rolled down his sleeves and picked up the bucket.

Naruto didn't know why disappointment filled him at those words. What did it matter that Sasuke had just done it to clean his own locker? Of course that was why...it was just a for a moment he thought...

He couldn't help the anger building up inside him. "Well, sorry for having fucking problems! I'll ask the other kids nicely to keep the hate messages to my own locker next time so they don't have to mess up your pretty little life."

He turned quickly, walking swiftly down the hall, leaving the Uchiha boy staring dumbly after him for the second time that week.

* * *

><p>Soccer practice continued much the same after that. Gai worked them till they just wanted to flop to the ground. The other guys ignored Naruto for the most part, something for which Naruto was grateful.<p>

Whenever he got a moment, he would practice with Neji at the gym and on some evenings he practiced on his own at the park. Neji had shown him some good tricks like feinting and chipping the ball, but it was with a rush of excitement one warm Spring evening that Naruto discovered something new.

He was alone in the darkening park practicing at shooting the ball towards the goals. He was exhausted and his feet ached, but he knew he had to practice all the more to catch up with the other guys. He pulled back taking a light run-up, when he stumbled slightly. His foot hit the ball at an odd angle and it shot into the air. Then, unbelievably, it turned in an arc, curving a path far to the left. It missed the goals by a long shot, but Naruto felt excitement well up in his chest.

He'd just made the ball spin in a totally different direction from where it had started. No one would see it coming..._a secret weapon_.

* * *

><p>"Neji!" he practically yelled in the gym the next day drawing glares from some of the other students. "Neji, I wanna show you something."<p>

"What?"

"I think I just discovered a new technique!"

Neji didn't get as excited as Naruto would have expected. Instead he raised a single dark brow.

"Which is?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm calling it Rasengan. I don't know what it's actually called. You're the football expert...uh, but the ball spins."

Neji looked at him flatly. "That, Naruto, is what's known as spinning the ball."

"Yeah, but like...a lot." said Naruto, waving his arms around as if to show the sheer size of the spin.

"Let's see then." the boy replied and stood back. Naruto pulled back a few steps as he had the first night, and kicked the ball in the place he'd hit before. It shot off at an odd angle, but there was no curve, the ball eventually coming to a stop at the side of the gym.

"Impressive." commented Neji sarcastically.

"Wait, that wasn't it! It went straight and then it curved and...it was awesome." finished Naruto lamely.

Neji sighed. "I think you'll need to practice it, but I wouldn't waste your time on one move right now, Naruto. The match is getting close and you need to work on strengthening your play in general."

"Right..." agreed Naruto vaguely. "Yeah."

That day he practiced with Neji, but when he went to the park on his own he couldn't resist trying out the move again, and as the days passed he began to improve the shot, learning the technique and aiming with greater and greater accuracy, and each day, the big match grew closer.

* * *

><p>"Naruto, can I have a word with you?"<p>

The boy hung back apprehensively as the other students exited the classroom. It usually wasn't a good sign when teachers wanted to speak to him.

Orochimaru cleared up the papers on his desk.

"I notice you've had a little accident, Naruto-kun." _kun?_

Naruto blinked_. _Oh yeah. The marks he'd got from the fight with Kenta.

"Yeah, I uh smacked myself in the face with my locker door."

Orochimaru smiled. "How clumsy of you."

Naruto shrugged awkwardly. "I'm the klutzy type."

The teacher sat back in his chair. "Your guardian is Shunsuke, am I right?"

He nodded his reply.

"I take it he's not the reason you wear that bruise?"

"Fuck no." said Naruto quickly and then muttered, "He's not around enough to bother with that."

"I see." said Orochimaru, not mentioning the swear much to Naruto's relief. "Well, I'm relieved to hear that you are not being hurt since Shunsuke is a personal friend of mine. In fact, if you would be so kind as to deliver this to him, I'd be extremely grateful." Orochimaru pulled open a drawer and took out a light brown parcel. It rattled slightly when he handed it over.

"Ok, I guess." said Naruto, looking at the package dubiously before he put it in his backpack.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." purred the teacher.

Naruto left to go, but paused on his way out the door, curiosity getting the better of him. "How do you know Shunsuke?"

Orochimaru smiled at him. "He was my lawyer."

Naruto gaped at him. "Shunsuke's a lawyer?"

"Used to be." corrected the teacher. "Unfortunately, he lost his practice. He still does some work for me, however. We're old friends."

The smile stretched across his face, but it didn't reach his eyes and Naruto felt a shiver run up his back.

"If you could deliver that directly to him, Naruto-kun..."

The boy nodded and turned to go, the yellow eyes following him as he left the room.

* * *

><p>When he arrived at his apartment, or rather, Shunsuke's apartment, the door was open, but the living room stood empty. Naruto's eyes wandered over to Shunsuke's bedroom door. He must be in there. Come to think of it, Naruto had never actually seen that room. He walked over and knocked. Nothing.<p>

He knocked again.

There was the rustle of clothes then the thudding of footsteps and the door swung open. Shunsuke glowered at him.

"The fuck do you think you're doing?"

Naruto scowled. "Oh, you know, just delivering shit for you and being a generally awesome person."

He held up the package and Shunsuke's eyes widened.

"Mr. Orochimaru asked me to give you this."

"Fine." said Shunsuke grumpily, taking the package. "Thanks."

He glared at Naruto when the boy didn't move.

"There something else?"

Naruto met his gaze steadily. "You used to be a lawyer." Shunsuke stiffened. "What happened?"

"None of your fucking business is what happened! Give Orochimaru my regards." And he slammed the door in Naruto's face.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the door. _Stupid Shunsuke_. He was just made of asshole. Naruto sighed and went into his room. He opened his cupboard door to be met with the pitiful sight of five lonely packets of ramen.

This...was not good. That would last him what? 3 days? 5 if he only ate one per day. Already Naruto had noticed his stomach getting flatter, his ribs and hip bones showing that little bit more from a diet of pure ramen. Thankfully it wasn't too noticeable under his shirts.

He needed to find a job and find one soon. Time was running out. He grabbed a pack of ramen and opened it with his teeth, going into the kitchen to pour its contents in the pan. He thought over the past week. So much had happened, there had barely been time to look for a job. He'd tried at the weekend with Red trailing after him, but not a single place had been hiring anyone, let alone him. Naruto snorted. He'd actually been stupid enough to use his real name at first which had gotten him thrown out on the street faster than he could blink.

Naruto wolfed down his ramen and went out into the cool evening. Today he would find a job, no matter what. Maybe if he went farther out of the city...

He passed shop after shop - clothes, supermarkets, pharmacies, even a perfume store where the sales associate looked at him as if he was a bad smell, quickly ushering him out as soon as the words 'job' left his lips. She'd obviously been sniffing too much perfume because her nose seemed to be wrinkled in a permanent look of distaste.

Always, in every place it was the same answer. _We're not hiring. We're not hiring. We're not hiring. _Those words were beginning to sound a chant in his head. Who in this fucking city was hiring?

He'd wandered pretty far from the fancy part of town. That's when Naruto saw it. A small run-down newsagents sat at the corner of the road. A red neon sign flashed intermittently. The blonde teen stepped inside.

A man was stacking shelves behind the counter. Judging by his aging looks, receding hair line and defeated manner, this guy probably owned the place. Naruto cleared his throat and the man turned. He had dark, baggy eyes which looked at the boy suspiciously.

"Can I help?"

Naruto gave him his most winsome smile, showing pearly white teeth. "More like, can I help you? I can improve your business and your life in one easy step!"

The man raised a brow at this odd sales speech, but Naruto pressed on, "Uh, that is, let me help you out here and you won't regret it!"

The man's face relaxed into weary understanding.

"You want a job. I'm sorry, but we're not-"

"Before you finish that sentence," interrupted Naruto quickly, "Just hear what I have to say. I'll do whatever it takes. I'll work hard. You won't find a more dedicated worker."

The man appeared unimpressed.

"I'll work whatever hours you need outside of school." said Naruto desperately. "I'll work cheap!"

Now the newsagent showed some interest. "How cheap?"

Naruto cast around for a figure. "Four dollars an hour?"

The man's mouth set in a thin line. "Three dollars." said Naruto quickly.

"Well, I might need a paper boy for the mornings...Two dollars and you've got yourself a deal, kid."

Naruto didn't hesitate. "Two dollars it is."

The man smiled, the heavy folds of his face creasing up. "Done. What's your name?"

"Daisuke." said Naruto, giving out the fake name he'd adopted.

"Well, Daisuke. You've just got yourself a job. Be here at 6am sharp tomorrow and we'll see how things go." He peered at the teen, as if sizing him up. "This will have to be off the books, mind. Means you won't get taxed if I give you the money directly."

No shit. And so he could give him a ridiculously low wage, but Naruto just smiled and nodded.

"No problem, Mr. Uhhh..."

"Atsushi." supplied the man.

"Mr. Atsushi." Naruto grinned. "Thank you. Thanks a lot. You won't regret this."

"I hope not." said the man and Naruto left the shop happily, the door tinkling lightly behind him.

He...Naruto Uzumaki...had a job! Ok, so he wasn't stupid. He knew he was working for a pittance, but maaan, he had a job! No more worrying about food. Two dollars a day would be enough for loads of ramen, maybe even other stuff now and then on the side. Vegetables? Naruto laughed to himself. _Heeell no._ Life was officially looking up.

* * *

><p>The next morning Naruto rose at 5am. It took him 45 minutes just to get to his new job, so he showered quickly and headed out. He arrived early to be met with a bag of papers.<p>

"I need you to deliver all of these within the hour. Here are the addresses, a map. Don't disappoint me, Daisuke."

Naruto nodded and flashed him a grin. "I never disappoint."

And with that he ran off. The houses around the area consisted mainly of flats, but with the odd semi-detached area popping up. There was a lot to cover and Naruto found himself running as half an hour passed quickly and he was only a third of the way through. He ran back to the newsagents arriving two minutes to 7, breathless and sweating. Atsushi was waiting there and gave him a look of mild surprise.

"I'm impressed. Most don't make it within the hour first time round."

Naruto leaned on the counter, still panting. "I'm...not...hah...most people."

The man laughed. "Well here, I guess you earned it." He handed Naruto two dollars and the boy couldn't help grinning as he took it, the money making a beautiful jingling sound in his pocket as he went to school.

* * *

><p>Between work, school, detention and soccer practice, the teen barely had time to think about anything else. He would collapse exhausted in his bed at night only to get up at 5 the next morning. But he had food. He had friends. And for the first time in his life he felt happy.<p>

He'd grin at his parents when he arrived home in the evenings and chat about the day. His parents seemed to reflect that happiness with their cheesy grins in the photograph.

During these practice weeks detention was the same gruelling experience. Naruto, however, had worked out a system. Everything got cleaned in a certain order and he became faster and faster until finally one Tuesday afternoon he stood back triumphantly within the half-hour time limit saying the most satisfying sentence he'd ever uttered.

"I'm done, Mr. Ibiki."

Ibiki got up and did his examination of the room while Naruto stood there with a smug smile.

"Well," said Ibiki finally. "It seems you've managed to do it, Uzumaki."

Naruto punched the air. "Yes! I am the cleaning master!"

Ibiki smirked. "Is that so?"

The smug look on Naruto's face faltered a bit. "Uh..."

"Well, if you're the cleaning master I'm sure we can up the challenge a bit. You know, to master level."

Naruto backed away slowly, putting up his hands. "N-no, that's ok. I don't need to be tested."

"Oh, but you do." said Ibiki still with that evil smile. "Come with me."

Naruto sighed and followed the teacher down the halls. He dreaded to think what was coming, but when they arrived and Ibiki opened the door, he couldn't stop his mouth opening in shock.

The room seemed to stretch on forever, scraps of food covering the tables, and spatters of juice and who-knew-what on the floor.

He looked at Ibiki in disbelief. "The cafeteria? You _cannot_ be serious."

"Oh, but I am, Uzumaki." said Ibiki. He picked up a mop and bucket in the corner, and held them out to the teen. "You have one hour."

* * *

><p>Three days later and it was boring physics class. Everyone was waiting for Mr. Orochimaru to arrive, everyone except Naruto who was slumped forward on his desk, completely exhausted. Cleaning and work over the past few days had taken a lot out of him. Around him, the chatter of students was charged with an extra buzz of excitement with the upcoming match the next week. Two high-pitched voices rose above the others and drifted to Naruto's ears as he lay with his head in his arms.<p>

"Ooooh, Sasuke in shorts! I can't wait!" said the first voice. _Ino_, thought Naruto grimly.

"I heard he's an amazing player." said the other happily. _Sakura._

"Well, duh, of course he is, Sakura. It's Sasuke."

Naruto rolled his eyes at this under his closed lids.

"Who else is playing for our year?" asked Sakura.

"Hmm..." Ino thought for a moment. "Well, Kiba, Shino, Lee, Choji...um..."

"Shikamaru?"

Ino laughed. "Don't be stupid. You think he could be bothered running up and down a pitch after a ball? No, I'm not sure about the whole team, but oh, Neji! And...and that..." She lowered her voice suddenly and Naruto strained to hear her. "That Uzumaki kid."

"Isn't he training with Neji?" muttered Sakura. The girl's whispers grew quieter and quieter, and Naruto gave up trying to listen. After a few moments, however, he looked up to be met with a pair of pale, green eyes. Sakura was smiling nervously, twisting a strand of pink hair around her finger. "Hey, uh, Naruto, right?"

Was he dreaming? He looked over his shoulder. Nope, no other Narutos in the room.

"Hey." the boy finally replied.

Ino was standing beside Sakura, half-scowling, half-curious. "We shouldn't be speaking to him." she whispered to Sakura.

She rolled her eyes then when neither Sakura nor Naruto ventured to speak. "So what's with you and Neji?"

Naruto turned his large blue eyes on her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know, you guys hanging out all the time. Lunch, soccer...what's your deal?"

Naruto frowned and shrugged. "We're friends, I guess."

"Neji doesn't have friends." said Ino in surprise. "I mean, he doesn't just...hang out with people...for...for fun."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Uuuh, I don't know what you want me to say. We get on all right and we hang out. Isn't that normal?"

Sakura shook her head, making Naruto's breath catch as she gazed at him intently with her sparkling green eyes. "Not for Neji."

"You're a strange guy, Naruto." said Ino as she walked back to her desk. Sakura gave Naruto a small smile before trailing after her friend.

_**I'm**__ strange? _thought Naruto. Why were girls so confusing?

At that moment all conversation stopped. Orochimaru walked into the room and for the next hour they found themselves absorbed in complex equations and theory.

After class, Naruto was packing up to leave, but Orochimaru approached his desk.

"Naruto-kun." _That stupid nickname again. "_Did you manage to deliver the package all right last week?"

Naruto nodded and Orochimaru smiled. "I knew I could count on you. Perhaps you could give him this as well." He held out another brown package and Naruto looked at it curiously. What did Orochimaru have to keep delivering? Couldn't be documents. It wasn't flat enough, and it made that odd sound.

"Oh, and I know I am asking a lot, but perhaps you could deliver this on your way home as well? I believe it's on your route. You walk, don't you?"

He held out another brown package. Naruto frowned slightly_. Just randomly delivering parcels. _Why couldn't Orochimaru do it himself?

"Of course I won't ask you to run an errand for free." said the teacher smoothly as he pulled a ten dollar note from his pocket and Naruto's eyes widened.

"Will this cover your trouble?"

"Uh, you don't have to pay me."

Orochimaru smiled. "I want to, Naruto-kun. I know things haven't been easy for you. Please, take it."

"It's cool. I mean, I have a job now and all." He didn't know why he was arguing so much. This was practically free money. It could buy him _tons_ of ramen and maybe a little chocolate on the side. Still...it just...felt..._weird._

"Found a job already?" said the man in quiet surprise. "You must be very resourceful." He smiled. "Well done, but please, allow this little to help. I can certainly spare the money, and you will be helping me out a lot. I have so many things to take care of, and don't always have time to complete my own errands. If you would..."

He took Naruto's hand and placed the note in his palm, curling Naruto's fingers over the note. Naruto accepted the note and pulled his hand away quickly. Orochimaru's fingers were ice cold.

"Um, well, thanks."

"Not at all. You are the one doing me a favour, Naruto-kun."

Naruto stood there awkwardly for a moment. "Well, I- I'd better get to detention. See you."

"Till next time, Naruto-kun." The teacher smiled as his student left the room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Oh, Orochimaru...you massively creepy creeper.


	11. Said the Spider to the Fly

**AN**: I haven't proofread these next few chapters one last time, so they may get tweaked later.

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 10: Said the Spider to the Fly

_Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself._  
><em>~Harvey Fierstein<em>

* * *

><p>Naruto stood proudly, majestic in the overseeing of his domain. He, Naruto Uzumaki, was officially <strong>god <strong>of cleaning. Five minutes before the deadline, here he was.

"Mr. Ibiki. I am officially done. Hey, you're messing it up!"

He shoved the teacher's boots off the cafeteria table he'd been relaxing at and scrubbed furiously at the stain. Ibiki let out a low chuckle, and Naruto looked up in surprise. Ibiki had just...laughed?

The man stood now and looked around the cafeteria. He examined everything closely, just like always. When he had finally made his round, he came back to stand in front of Naruto.

"Well done, Uzumaki. You've cleaned it all within the time limit."

"So what now?" said the teen, his expression suspicious. "Clean it in half an hour? Do the whole school in an hour? Whatever you've got, bring it. I'll do it!"

Ibiki spread his arms. "There is nothing else. We're done."

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"We're done, Naruto. You've done well. You've met every challenge. You haven't complained...too much." The man gave him a sharp look and continued. "It takes discipline and hard work to do the same boring routine every day, especially when other people are putting you down, but if you maintain this same order and discipline in your own life as you do in your home or your school, you will find that you can go beyond others' and even your own expectations. Never give up, Naruto, and never let other people tell you what you cannot achieve. Most importantly, don't let yourself believe you cannot achieve something."

Naruto stared at him in disbelief.

"That's what all this has been about? I spent the last three weeks cleaning over and over so you could teach me this simple lesson?"

"Well, that and it saved on some cleaning bills, and it means you'll find cleaning your own house takes no time at all in future."

Naruto facepalmed.

"It might have been a long lesson, but I bet it's one you'll never forget. I have high hopes for you, Naruto." said Ibiki. Then, the unbelievable happened. Ibiki winked. _Winked! _

"Wax on, wax off." he said.

Naruto just gaped at him. "What the hell does that even mean?"

Ibiki looked confused. "Haven't you ever seen the Karate Kid?"

"Uh, no."

"Oh." said Ibiki, slightly deflated. "Well, you should watch it."

There was an awkward silence.

"Sooo, does that mean my detention is over?"

Ibiki looked uncomfortable. "Well, I did say to the principal you'd have a month. There's one week left. We could continue cleaning, but...unfortunately I'm due to attend a teacher-training week, so my substitute will be filling in which means another teacher will have to handle your detention."

"Great." muttered Naruto.

"Mr. Iruka offered to fill in." Naruto's eyes lit up. "But detention is usually the designation of Mr. Orochimaru. Now that he's back, he'll be overseeing the rest of your time."

Naruto groaned. A week with that guy? He gave him the creeps. He gave _everybody _the creeps. There was a reason no one talked in that class. Orochimaru's eyes on you felt like you were going to be dissected along with the frog on your desk.

"Never mind." laughed Naruto nervously. "It's just a week, right?"

Ibiki nodded. "Yes, and I've even wangled you a few days break for training practice. Detention will restart after the football match." He put his hand out. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Uzumaki."

Naruto laughed and shook it. "Likewise, I guess." Then at the stern look quickly added, "Sir."

* * *

><p>Naruto walked home that evening with an extra spring in his step. He was almost halfway home before he remembered the package he was supposed to deliver. He opened his backpack quickly and looked at the address. Good thing he'd gotten to know the neighbourhood so well. The street was slightly off his usual route, but it wouldn't take too long. He felt the crisp ten dollar note in his pocket. Definitely worth a little extra walk.<p>

He turned down a few side streets eventually arriving at a slightly run-down semi-detached house. It was white with black bars at the windows. Looked like someone was worried about burglars. Naruto stepped up to the door and knocked lightly.

No answer.

He knocked again, harder this time. There was a sound of scuffling inside and the door opened to reveal a pale, sickly-looking man with a 12 o' clock shadow on his chin.

"What do you want?" he said in a rough voice. His eyes kept shifting around and past Naruto.

"I just came to give you this." The boy said as he held up the parcel. "Mr. Orochimaru asked me to deliver it to you."

The man's eyes widened as they fixed on it. "At last." And he snatched the package from Naruto's hand, closing the door.

"You're welcome." said Naruto grumpily and turned to go back down the steps. _Weird. Just plain weird._

* * *

><p>The day of the match finally arrived and Naruto felt slightly sick as he tried to force his lunch down his throat. Nothing would stop him from eating. <em>Nothing. <em>Neji gave him a weird look as he gagged slightly.

"A-are you ok, Naruto?" asked Hinata.

"Fine, just...my stomach doesn't want to keep the food down." he muttered.

Neji smirked slightly. "Are you nervous, Uzumaki?"

"What? No!" said Naruto quickly. "Of course not." But he didn't meet Neji's eyes.

"Well, well, the someday-mayor of the city is scared of a little soccer game."

"I'm not scared or nervous!" protested Naruto.

"Nervous, huh?" said a voice.

They all looked up in complete shock to see Sasuke standing there holding his lunch.

This was the last person Naruto wanted to see right now...and most other times too. He glared at the stupid raven-haired boy. Him and his stupid sticky-uppy dumb hair...which was dumb...and stupid.

"I'm not fucking nervous. Just got a sore stomach." he muttered.

"Sure." replied Sasuke, and he sat down, placing some delicious-looking food on the table. Naruto gave Sasuke a look of pure confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sitting here. What does it look like?" replied Sasuke calmly.

"Ye-but, I mean why?" spluttered Naruto.

Sasuke shrugged and glanced over at Sakura and Ino who were staring at their table, their eyes practically falling out of their heads. "I can't be bothered listening to those girls talking about the game anymore. They don't shut up. It's annoying." He picked up a forkful of food. "I figure if I sit here people will leave me alone since you're such a social leper."

Naruto stood up quickly. "Fuck you! You're the anti-social bastard around here! Get lost!"

Sasuke didn't react. "Shut up and eat your lunch."

"You can't tell me what to do. Fuck off! I don't want to sit with you."

"Then move." said Sasuke simply. Neji and Hinata meanwhile were watching the exchange with interest.

Naruto pointed an accusing arm at Sasuke. "I shouldn't have to move. I was here first! You go."

"No." replied Sasuke.

Neji rolled his eyes. "Naruto, it's not a big deal. Just sit down."

Naruto turned to Neji in disbelief. "What? You're on his side now?"

Neji sighed. "I'm not on anyone's side, but I'd like to eat my food in peace. If he wants to sit here, let him sit here."

"But...I..." began Naruto, lost for words. Finally, he sat down, glaring at Sasuke. "Well, I'm not moving."

Sasuke just grunted in reply and began to eat his food.

"And I'm not nervous." muttered Naruto. _Stupid Sasuke._

* * *

><p><em>Ok, so I might be a little nervous.<em> thought Naruto as he tried to tie his shoelaces for the fifth time with numb fingers. It didn't help that Sasuke had sat with them the whole of the lunch hour making conversation very awkward.

_He was trying to be put me off,_ thought Naruto bastard was trying to unnerve him and make him play badly. He smiled grimly. _Well, it won't work._

When he'd finally tied his shoes, most of the guys had already left the locker room and gone onto the pitch. Neji hung about at the door.

"You coming or what?"

Naruto nodded and swallowed. "Let's do this."

They walked outside into the bright sunlight, and Naruto blinked, his eyes adjusting.

He swallowed. A nervous glance told him that practically the entire school had come by to watch. Lining the stands around the pitch were crowds of students, all talking and laughing excitedly. Kiba stood in goals, stamping his feet nervously. He nodded to Neji as they passed by, and after a moment gave Naruto a curt nod as well. _Wow, he must be nervous to be acknowledge me_, thought Naruto to himself.

Kenta and Goro were lingering at the sidelines. Great. So they were on the senior's team. This was going to be an interesting game.

"Good luck." muttered Neji as he strode off to mid-field. Naruto took a deep breath and positioned himself left field. Gai stood near the stands yelling enthusiastically, although what he was saying was anyone's guess since no one could hear him over the noise of the crowd.

"Wait a sec. Who's ref?" said Naruto to Neji's back, but the boy didn't hear him as he walked away.

So, Naruto stood nervously toward the side of the pitch. He felt like he was going to be sick. He could see Sasuke standing calmly in centre forward.

"Sasuke! Go Sasuke!" yelled a high voice from the stands.

Naruto turned and saw a pink blob jumping up and down. He frowned and looked back at Sasuke, who was ignoring Sakura and Ino as per fucking usual. What did she see in that grumpy bastard?

"Careful you don't smile, bastard. Your face might crack." he muttered to himself.

As if sensing eyes on him, Sasuke turned to look at him, his expression sour.

"Focus on the game, Uzumaki." he said over the din. "Fuck knows you don't have the brain power to multi-task."

Naruto growled. "Fuck you, Uchiha! You'll be eating my dust!"

Sasuke quirked a brow. "You do realise we're on the same team, right?"

Before Naruto had a chance to think about or reply to this, cheers rose from the crowd and the referee ran onto the pitch.

_Fuck my life. _

It was Principal Stein looking comical with his stocky legs sticking out of his football shirts. He was already slightly breathless from his jog onto the pitch, and he peered at them from behind slightly steamed-up, thick owl glasses.

"All right, lads!" he shouted. "I want a good, clean game. I won't tolerate any foul play." His eyes rested briefly on Naruto before continuing. "Play to your best and let's all enjoy ourselves."

Kenta leered at Naruto from across the centre circle.

"Positions, everyone!" shouted Stein.

The boys ran to their positions, the cheers of the crowd ringing in their ears, and as Naruto stood there watching Principal Stein flip a coin to see who would start he felt decidedly nervous. Butterflies were stirring up a storm in his stomach and his hands felt clammy. He looked across at Neji who was as cool as a cucumber, and Sasuke who was strolling casually over to the ball having won the coin toss, not a care in the world. Damn them and their superhuman calmness. Lee at least looked nervous, bobbing up and down energetically, already yelling instructions to the other players.

The whistle sounded and the game began. Naruto stuck close to his mark, who unfortunately happened to be Goro, the senior he'd met in his confrontation with Hinata. He was a thick-set guy with a strong angular chin and black eyes, small and beady like a spider. The senior was giving him the evil eye and the odd evil shove in the ribs whenever the smaller teen got too close.

Competition was fierce with both teams fighting for possession. It was clear the older boys took the tryouts seriously, unwilling to be shown up by these would-be replacements, whilst the newbies were playing flat out in a thirst to prove themselves, Naruto included.

Sasuke got the ball and stormed up the pitch, Neji following closely behind.

A senior came forward in defense to tackle, but Sasuke was too fast passing back to Neji.

The pale-eyed boy took it up the left side and passed back to Sasuke who had moved in a flash, positioning himself quickly at the goals.

He shot, he scored, and the students in the stand broke into eardrum-bursting cheers, the other teammates yelling happily.

Even Naruto couldn't help grinning. They'd scored against the seniors in the first half!

It wasn't to last, however, when a tall black-haired senior managed to work his way up the side of the pitch and scored.

The crowd roared again, this time sounding a lot happier amongst the senior year.

Naruto groaned. They were neck and neck.

The whistle sounded and Sasuke kicked off. He scored..._again_, and the crowd went wild. Naruto rolled his eyes when he heard the girls screaming his name. Ok, it had been a good shot, but not _that _great. Naruto huffed. He hadn't even touched the ball yet.

"Oi, Uzumaki, what're you doing?" yelled a voice. Naruto looked over at Kiba in goals. He was glaring at him and motioning towards the pitch.

Naruto started. He'd been so busy watching the crowd, he hadn't noticed the game start again and Goro, the guy he should've been marking, was sneaking his way towards the goal. The senior was wide open!

Naruto ran. He tore a path towards Goro as if his life depended on it. The ball was flying along the pitch towards the senior. It was like a nightmare in slow motion. He had almost reached Goro, but the boy had the ball and kicked it swiftly towards the goal. Lee, in defence, was running up but too far away, and Kiba in goals jumped up at the ball as it flew over his head. It brushed his fingers and hit the back of the net.

2-1 to the seniors.

A junior boy knocked into Naruto as he passed. "Nice one, dipshit."

"The fuck was that, Uzumaki? Stay on your fucking mark!" yelled Kiba.

"Pay more attention next time." said Sasuke calmly as he walked past.

Naruto ground his teeth but didn't say anything, too angry with himself. He jogged back to position as the game commenced again.

Half time was soon called and the boys traipsed dejectedly into the locker room.

"It's not over yet," Kiba was saying. "We've got the whole other half to go. Of course it would've helped if _someone _had stayed on his mark." He glared at Naruto as he took a swig of water, and Naruto felt himself redden. Other teammates were scowling at him.

"Lay off, Kiba. It's just a game." said Neji calmly beside him.

"Lay off?" sputtered Kiba. "He might've just cost us the game!"

Then Sasuke spoke. "As I recall it's your job as goalkeeper to stop the balls going in the net."

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. Had Sasuke just...defended him?

"There's only so much I can fucking do, Uchiha."

Sasuke shrugged. "Guess you're not that much of a goalkeeper."

Kiba looked like he was about to explode, and Shino had to hold him back from decking Sasuke.

Sasuke picked up his own water bottle and put it in his locker. "Try not to let in anymore goals, Inuzaka, and we'll win this. I guarantee it."

Kiba gritted his teeth, "You'd better be right, Uchiha." He turned to the rest of the team. "Just get the ball to Sasuke and keep it away from that Uzumaki kid and we might actually have a chance of winning this."

Naruto felt his stomach turn to lead and it stayed that way as they all filed back onto the pitch.

* * *

><p>"Uzumaki, heads up."<p>

Naruto could see it. Goro had tackled Neji and kicked the ball free. It was coming straight for him and he was positioned on the right side of the field. He trapped the ball underfoot and looked up. Sasuke was running up the pitch towards the goal. He began to dribble up the pitch towards him.

Suddenly, Kenta was in his sights, coming at him like a freight train. Naruto kicked quickly and the ball sped up the pitch to Sasuke, but Kenta didn't stop. He slammed into Naruto hard and he went flying to the ground, twisting over on his foot. He let out a cry of pain and grabbed his leg.

Fuck it hurt like hell.

Kenta just grinned and jogged off, and Naruto heard a cheer as presumably Sasuke scored. He got slowly to his feet as Neji ran up to him, Principal Stein in tow.

"You ok?" he asked.

Naruto nodded and put weight on his foot. It hurt like crazy, but it couldn't have been broken since he could stand.

"I'm fine."

"I said I wanted a clean game, Uzumaki, none of this fake diving." said Principal Stein.

Naruto looked at him in disbelief. "Did that look fake to you? He ran into me!"

"It's true, Principal Stein." agreed Neji.

The principal shifted uncomfortably, but he glared at Naruto. "Well then no more running into other players."

"Me? Run into-?" Naruto was at a loss for words. He wanted to pummel the stupid principal's face in. "Have you even been watching the game?"

Stein scowled at him. "Watch your tone, Uzumaki. I'm the ref here and I could have you sent off in a moment's notice." He signalled to the other players. "Play on!"

And Naruto was left fuming as he limped painfully along the pitch.

* * *

><p>The score was 2-2 and Naruto had no idea how long they'd been playing into overtime. His ankle sent sharp pains through him with every other step, his legs felt like lead and his heart beat so fast he was sure it would burst from his ribcage and start bouncing around the pitch, but they played on, and he forced himself to put one leg in front of the other, running up the pitch to keep his mark. He felt lightheaded. Exhaustion was evident in all of the player's movements and sweat poured down their brows. A tall dark-haired senior was steaming down the pitch only to be blocked by Neji. He passed to Goro.<p>

Naruto knew what he had to do this time. Closest to his mark, he ran up to Goro. He'd seen him playing, examined his moves. Goro liked to feint and to bluff, and Naruto could remember what Neji had said as they practiced.

_Always watch the hips, Naruto. The face can lie. The legs can lie, but not the hips_.

He charged up to him and watched the senior's hips carefully as Goro feinted to his left, then his right. Naruto made as if to lunge to the right, following Goro's movements, but pulled back in a flash as Goro pulled out of his feint and changed direction. Naruto struck out, kicking the ball between Goro's legs and ran past him, the ball in possession.

He could see Neji a little further up the pitch, running into an open space. Naruto passed to him, his ankle sending a sharp throb of pain when he kicked the ball. Neji passed to Sasuke who immediately took the ball towards the goals, but suddenly Kenta was there. He didn't even try to aim for the ball as he kicked out and caught Sasuke in the legs, tripping him. The boy fell, rolling over onto the pitch and coming to a stop. Low boos came from the crowd, rising in volume as they shouted for the referee.

Naruto ran over. Sasuke was getting to his feet slowly. He looked a bit pale. Then again, he always did. "You ok, man?"

"Fine. Just hit my head." he replied.

Principal Stein jogged up, out of breath. "What happened?"

"What happened was Kenta tripped Sasuke to stop him scoring." yelled Naruto quickly, glaring at the senior.

The principal frowned. "I don't believe I asked you, Uzumaki. Kenta, is this true?"

"No, sir." said Kenta, his voice was disgustingly respectful. "I was just trying to get the ball. It was an accident." He turned to Sasuke with a fake smile. "Sorry, man. It was an accident, I swear."

The dark-haired boy was looking at Kenta with an expression that promised death. "You obviously have very poor motor skills."

Principal Stein looked anxiously between the two boys. "Now, now Sasuke. If he says it was an accident...but, Kenta, I'm afraid it was rather poor aim, so I'll have to award Sasuke's team an indirect free kick."

"Free kick?" said Naruto in disbelief. "We should get a penalty!"

The bald-headed man glared at Naruto. "One more word from you and I'll be sending you off for bad conduct towards the referee."

He walked away leaving Naruto open-mouthed.

"It's cool, Uzumaki." said Sasuke. "Get back in position."

Naruto growled, but moved off to the other side of the pitch, limping. The other players all moved around the pitch, jostling each other as they tried to get their marks. Goro didn't bother marking Naruto, and he knew it was because he'd slowed down with his crappy leg. Besides, apart from Neji now and then, nobody had passed to him during the entire game, so he stood toward the side of the pitch, watching as everyone ran back and forth, trying to get into position to get the ball when Sasuke kicked.

Sasuke looked at him briefly, and suddenly Naruto could see what he was going to do. _No, no, no, don't pass to me! _ he prayed, begging for Sasuke to be able to read his mind. _I can't do anything. Not me, anyone but me._ His right foot was on fire with pain and even if he wanted to use it he was facing the wrong way to get a clear shot at the goals. From his position at the side of the pitch there would be no way-

But as the thoughts raced through his mind, Sasuke had already kicked the ball. Naruto saw it coming towards him fast, yet horribly, horribly slow as if he was trapped in some horrendous nightmare. He could see Kenta in the corner of his eye, charging towards him with a grin on his face.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of this freak!"

Naruto trapped the ball under his foot. He could faintly hear voices yelling, a growing roar, "Pass it! Pass it to Sasuke!" and when he looked up Sasuke was trying to run into a clear position, but Goro was marking him closely, getting in the way. There was no guarantee...no way to get to the goal... unless...

So, Naruto did the only thing he could think of. He swivelled into his stance for Rasengan in _completely the wrong position_.

"Here goes, reverse Rasengan." he muttered to himself. His heart was hammering in his chest and he felt sick with nerves, but he pulled back his left foot and he kicked.

The ball sailed into the air, skimming past Kenta's shoulder though the boy couldn't turn in time as he slammed full-force into Naruto, both of them tumbling to the ground. Naruto heard a dull thud reverberate through him as his head hit the pitch hard. They both looked up in time to see the ball sailing in a straight line through the air. Naruto groaned. He'd messed it up.

But then, miraculously, it began to turn. The goalkeeper turned his eyes from Sasuke where he expected to see it fly only to watch dumbly as it curved an arc in the air towards the opposite side of his goal. Too little, too late he stirred into action and dived, missing the ball by a mile as it flew into the top corner and hit the back of the net.

There was a split second of breathtaking silence, and then.

"YEAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Cheers erupted in the stands in a thunderous roar. Students got to their feet jumping and yelling, and Naruto suddenly found himself being suffocated by hugs as his teammates pulled him up and shoved Kenta aside, yelling who-knows-what in pure, manic glee.

"FUCK YEAH!" Kiba shouted as he ran towards the mass of bodies on the pitch and jumped into the fray. "That shot was fucking amazing, man!"

His teammates finally peeled off of him, and Kiba grabbed him and pulled him to his feet.

"We fucking beat the seniors, man!" He turned to Shino next to him and hugged him yelling, "We fucking beat them!"

Lee was jumping up and down giving him the thumbs up. "A beautiful shot, Naruto!"

And Neji grinned at him from among the sea of faces.

Naruto grinned back as he stood in the crowd. People were yelling and cheering around him, but the sounds started to fade slightly, muffled as if he was hearing it underwater and Naruto's grin faltered. He felt...strange. The pain in his ankle that had been throbbing now matched the pain in his head he'd taken from the fall with Kenta and his body felt like one pulsing pain.

"You ok?" said a voice near him. He turned to look into a dark pair of eyes, and blinked, trying to bring the face into focus.

"Ahm...d-dizzy." Was all he managed to say before he fell forward and darkness overtook him.

* * *

><p>There were voices surrounding him, muffled but getting clearer.<p>

"Is he ok?"

"Nothing to worry about. He just overdid things a bit."

"Hey guys, he's coming round."

Naruto opened his eyes to bright whiteness. He blinked. Curious faces were looking down at him. One closest had two red stripes smeared across its cheeks.

"Kiba?" he said in surprise.

Kiba grinned. "Hey man, how's it going?"

Naruto frowned and looked around. He was on the bed in the nurse's office and it seemed like half the team was in there with him.

"N-Naruto, a-are you all right?" asked Hinata. Neji was standing next to her looking serious.

Naruto stared at Hinata and her face began to turn the usual shade of red. "What are you all doing here?"

"We came to see if you were ok. How's your ankle, Naruto?" asked Neji.

Naruto frowned. Now that he thought about it his foot felt like it was about to fall off. "It hurts."

A serious-faced boy came over to his bedside. His hair was in an odd spiked ponytail. "I'm not surprised. You twisted your ankle quite badly during the match. I've elevated it for now and put some ice on it. It's your head I was more worried about, but it doesn't look like you have a concussion."

"Shikamaru was on duty as resident first-aider." said Kiba by way of explanation. He looked at Naruto intently. "Were you seriously running around on that foot for like half the game?"

"Um, I...guess."

"Dude, that's fucking dedication right there, eh Shino?"

The boy in the sunglasses nodded, but didn't say anything.

"What am I doing in here?" asked Naruto. His head still hurt like crazy.

"Man, you passed out. Fainted. Sasuke had to carry you in here." Kiba grinned as if he thought this was the most brilliant thing to happen in the existence of football.

"Sasuke?" repeated Naruto in disbelief.

"Haha, yeah. You fell right on top of him. Man, was he pissed at you for playing on that crappy leg. Said you were an idiot and left as soon as he could."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Now _that _sounds like Sasuke."

"Yeah," agreed Kiba. "That guy has a stick up his butt."

Naruto laughed. "Exactly, he's a pole-ass!"

Kiba let out a bark of laughter. "I know, right?" The two boys grinned at each other for a moment, then Kiba's faded and he rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Look, uh, I'm, well, I'm sorry about...uh...before...with the locker room pranks and stuff...that I said. I was...outta line."

Shino nodded his agreement.

Naruto took a deep breath. "It's - it's cool."

"Nah, but I was a serious dick and I-"

"It's cool." repeated Naruto firmly. "Already forgotten. Besides," he grinned mischievously. "I'll just get you back with better stuff. You won't see it coming."

Kiba laughed. "Fair enough, man. Fair enough. Bring it if you got it, Uzumaki."

"Oh, I've got it, Inuzaka."

The boy grinned, the odd red stripes on his face creasing up. "Well, if you can hold back for one night then maybe you can join us for a party at mine."

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "That's not a good idea. He's going to need to keep the weight off his leg."

"He can keep the weight off his leg." insisted Kiba. "I'll get my sister to drive us. Besides, I've got some making up to do to this guy. What do you say, Uzumaki? Up for a little party?"

Naruto grinned. "Definitely."

* * *

><p>It was already late evening after the match and they went straight to Kiba's house for the post-match celebration.<p>

"My parents are out tonight. Thank fuck. They said they'd let me use the house whether we won or lost." chattered Kiba excitedly as he let Naruto, Neji and Shino into the house. There was a whole trail of people behind them, some had taken cars and gone past and others were walking along slowly and veering off to shops to grab alcohol. Naruto realised suddenly that half the school had come along, seniors, juniors, everyone.

"Aren't the seniors angry about us winning?" he asked.

Kiba grinned devilishly. "Definitely. But usually they have a party and rub their victory in everyone's faces. This year it's our turn, so they can suck it up. Besides," he shrugged. "Everyone likes an excuse to party."

People started filing into his house once he opened the door. Soon music was booming through the house and alcohol was running like a waterfall past people's lips. Naruto was surprised when he even saw Sasuke wander in, flanked as usual by Sakura and Ino. His face screamed murder before he managed to lose the girls in the crowd. His eyes caught Naruto's then and he made his way over. _Crap._

"What are you doing here, Uchiha?" said Kiba in surprise. "Didn't think you'd come."

Sasuke shrugged. "I wasn't given a choice. Those two banshees wouldn't leave me alone unless I did." He shot a death glare at a blob of pink looking around for him and shifted to hide himself behind Naruto and Kiba. "Still won't leave me alone."

Naruto shook his head. "You're insane. If I had them after me, I wouldn't be running."

Kiba laughed. "I know, right?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto as he stood gingerly on his swollen ankle. "You're right. _You_ wouldn't be running because you're too busy messing up your ankle for a fucking soccer match. How low is your IQ, Uzumaki?"

Naruto growled. "Fuck you! We won the match. You should be fucking happy for once."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because it's really worth causing your leg permanent damage to prove something to people."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shirt collar roughly. "Why do you always have to be such a fucking asshole? You think I don't know what I can handle?"

Sasuke glared back at him steadily. "No, I don't. I think you're an idiot. Is that not clear by now?"

Naruto felt the anger boil up in him. He was going to punch him, he was going to fucking punch Sasuke in the face.

Kiba laughed nervously, pulling them apart while they continued to glare at each other. "Guys, come on. It's a party. Just chill."

Shino came up to them then, breaking the tension. He was holding up two six-packs of beer, his eyes glinting behind his sunglasses.

"Whoa, Shino, man!" yelled Kiba with relief. "How'd you get that lot?"

"It's better that you don't know." replied Shino. From anyone else it would have sounded like a joke, but Shino appeared completely serious.

Kiba grinned. "This is gonna be good." He cracked open a bottle on the side of the counter and handed it to Naruto.

"There ya go. Hero of the hour. Well, you and Sasuke joint." He handed Sasuke a bottle too.

Naruto grinned. "Thanks." He lifted the bottle to his lips and his eyes widened in surprise.

"It's...good."

Kiba looked at him in surprise. "Is that the first time you've had beer?"

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess."

"Dude, you haven't lived." He grabbed Naruto's arm and raised it in the air, addressing the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we are getting this man very, very drunk!"

Everyone cheered, and chanted, "Drink! Drink! Drink!"

"You heard them, Uzumaki." said Kiba, grinning.

Naruto tipped the bottle and started gulping it down. The fizziness stung a little and by the time he was finished, Naruto felt bloated and more than a little lightheaded.

"Haha! Nice one, man." laughed Kiba, swigging his own beer.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That was stupid." Naruto glared at him, "What's your problem?"

"Aw, lighten up, man." replied Kiba, slinging an arm over Sasuke's shoulder. "You don't always have to be such a hardass."

Naruto laughed as Shino handed him another beer. "It's because of the pole he's had up his ass since birth."

Kiba snorted into his beer. "Ahaha! It's so true."

Sasuke shrugged off the arm around his shoulders. "Do what you like. If you all want to act like morons it's fine by me."

He walked away through the crowd.

"Ah, forget him." said Kiba, waving an arm. "He's always got a stick up his butt. Let's enjoy the party. Here, let me introduce you to people."

"You've met Shikamaru." said Kiba, and the boy nodded. "And this," said Kiba, gesturing to a huge guy with chubby cheeks and a smile plastered on his face. "Is Choji."

"...don't mention his weight whatever you do." he added with a whisper.

Naruto was suddenly bowled over as a large dog jumped on him and began licking his face. Kiba laughed. "You all right, man? Sorry." He pulled Naruto to his feet. "This is the coolest guy you'll meet at the party, my dog Akamaru." Naruto laughed as Akamaru barked, going constantly from one person to the other in sheer excitement at so many people in one place.

"You know me and Shino, I guess." said Kiba, continuing the introductions. "Oh yeah, Sakura, Ino, over here!"

Naruto felt his chest tighten as a pink head bobbed its way through the crowd.

"Hey, Kiba." said Ino as they arrived.

"Hey, you girls know Naruto?"

"We've met." said Sakura. She turned to Naruto and smiled. "That was a really amazing shot before, Naruto."

Naruto reddened. "Uh, thanks."

Kiba grinned mischievously. "Sooo, I'm going to go dance with Ino."

"What? What're you talking about?" said Ino quickly, her eyes darting between Naruto and Sakura.

"Just shut up and get on the dance floor, Yamanaka." muttered Kiba, dragging her away.

Naruto was left with Sakura and they stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"It really was a good shot." said Sakura finally. "You'll be on the team for sure."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and grinned. "Well, I hope so, but we'll see I guess."

There was a pause and Sakura sipped at her drink, looking around the room.

"So," said Naruto finally, racking his brain for something to say. "Have you always lived in Kono-"

"Have you seen Sasuke?" interrupted the girl. Naruto's smile froze on his face.

"He left a while back."

Sakura's eyes widened and she looked at Naruto quickly. "Left the party?"

"No, I think he's around, but I don't know where."

"Oh." said Sakura, sounding relieved. "Well, I just have to...to go and find him to congratulate him too, so I'll see you around, Naruto."

Naruto forced a smile onto his face. "Yeah, see you later."

The pink-haired girl disappeared into the crowd. Naruto looked at the drink in his hand. "Just you and me then, beer."

* * *

><p>The rest of the night passed in a blur of faces, dancing and music. Naruto lost track of the people he met, people from all years, and he and Kiba laughed at the grumpy-looking seniors. Ino and Sakura even returned and they all made bets as Choji tried to eat as many burgers as he could in five minutes. It was a terrifying sight. Sakura smiled at him from across the room, and Naruto felt his heart beat faster. Maybe it was the alcohol.<p>

It was a few beers later and Naruto managed to make his way through the hall. Why was it so hard to find the bathroom? He felt a bit sick. The room kept doing this weird spinning thing. He stumbled against someone.

"S-sorry." he slurred.

"Idiot. Are you drunk?" said a voice. Naruto looked up and saw Sasuke glaring down at him.

He shook his head. "Course not." But the shaking motion had made his head spin and he turned green.

"You should go home." said Sasuke.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, probably." He grinned. "It's been good though." He looked at Sasuke, squinting his eyes as if to get a good look. Him and his stupid hair.

Sasuke looked uncomfortable.

"You want to get off or what?"

Naruto suddenly realised that he was still being held up by the boy, leaning into him. He straightened up quickly and pushed himself away. Sasuke seemed relieved and shuffled backwards. Naruto didn't move, however. Something had been bothering him. He stared at the dark-haired boy who frowned back at him.

"Why did you pass the ball to me?"

Sasuke gave him a weird look. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Yeah, but why would you?" persisted Naruto. Had that made sense? He wasn't too sure now.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Why do you think?"

"Just tell me, bastard."

Sasuke sighed. "I passed you the ball because I couldn't reach the goal and you were open. Why else?"

"Oh." said Naruto. "And why did you sit with us at lunch?"

Sasuke glared at him. "Do you always ask so many stupid questions?"

Naruto thought for a moment, his mind felt fuzzy. Finally, he shrugged. "Yeah, probably."

"You're an idiot." said Sasuke.

Naruto grinned at him. "And you have a pole up your ass. But...I guess you're not so bad. You and your stupid hair."

Sasuke's quirked an eyebrow, and pulled the beer bottle out of Naruto's hands. "I think you've had enough."

Naruto tried to grab the bottle back, but only succeeded in grasping weakly at thin air. He sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. Feel a bit sick."

"You know your way home?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto grinned. "I know this neighbourhood like the back of my hand."

He looked at his hand. It seemed to sway in and out of focus and he frowned.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You realise you have a sprained ankle, right?"

"Pffft, s'nothing to a guy like me. I can...I can walk on it." Naruto put his foot down. It didn't feel so bad. "See?"

"That'll be the alcohol talking. It numbs pain. You've never been drunk before have you?"

Naruto shook his head and the room swam again. "It feels...weird."

Sasuke sighed and pulled out his phone, dialling a number into it. He raised the phone to his ear.

"Hi, yeah, can I get a taxi for 57 Mejiro Drive, please. Name is Uchiha. Thanks."

He shoved the phone back in his pocket and guided Naruto to the front door. "Come on, idiot. You're going home."

"But-I...the party." whined Naruto as he was dragged outside into the cold air. He stumbled as they went down the steps and Sasuke grabbed his arm quickly, supporting him as they continued down the path.

"The party is practically over." he said. "And you're drunk. You're going home before you do something stupid."

Naruto frowned. "I'm not stupid. You always call me stupid, you bastard."

"I call it like I see it." said Sasuke simply. He let go of Naruto as they stood waiting for the taxi, and the boy swayed slightly, blinking as a car pulled up and shone its headlights in their direction.

"That'll be your ride." said Sasuke.

"Wha...I don't...I don't get in the car with strangers." mumbled Naruto.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's a taxi, dumbass. Get in."

Maybe it was the alcohol working on him, but Naruto actually listened and got in. He looked up as Sasuke held the door, making as if to shut it.

"Aren't you coming?"

"I live somewhere else, moron."

"Oh...yeah." said Naruto, then he grinned. "So...I'll see you at lunch tomorrow, bastard."

"Whatever." Came the reply, and maybe it was Naruto's drunken imagination, but he thought he saw the bastard smirk.

Naruto stumbled out of the taxi when he got home and flopped into bed. His first ever party, and it had been awesome.

* * *

><p>The next morning Naruto woke to an annoying beeping sound. <em>Fuck<em>. His head hurt. He felt like it was stuffed with cotton and his mouth was dry and foul.

What was that stupid sound? He cracked open his eyes. Some numbers floated in front of his eyes. 5...5.15? _FUUUCK! Work! _Naruto got dressed in a flash, cursing as he stumbled about the room and managed to shove on his shirt backwards. Fuhuhuuuck! His ankle! He'd forgotten about it in the mayhem, but now that he was putting his weight back on it...man, it hurt like hell. But there was no time to worry about that.

He finally got out of the flat and started limping down the road, trying to put as little weight on his foot as possible. He glanced at his watch. He would make it. He was gonna make it. _Ugh_, he felt like shit.

He arrived at the newsagents, the door making that familiar chime as he walked in.

"Haaah...haah...I'm here." he panted as he leaned on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

He looked up when he heard no reply. In fact, there was no one there.

"Mr. Atsushi?" he called. He heard the sound of clattering in the back and the thud of footsteps. Mr. Atsushi pulled back the bead curtain that separated the stock room from the front of the shop. He was half-hidden behind the shelves, but from what Naruto could see, he did not look happy.

"What are you doing here?" he said.

Naruto frowned. "I'm here to deliver the papers."

Mr. Atsushi curled his lip. "You think I want your services? Get out."

Naruto straightened up. He moved towards the shopkeeper. "What's going on?"

The man stepped back quickly. "Keep back, _Uzumaki."_ he spat out the name, and raised a shotgun, aiming it at the teen. Naruto felt a cold feeling rush through him and his breath caught in his throat.

"Yeah, that's right. I know who you are, and I don't fucking want you here. You got that? Now get the fuck out before I blow you to pieces." He raised the gun to his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. "Konoha would thank me."

Naruto didn't move. He knew he should just feel afraid, but instead anger began to surge through him.

"I haven't fucking done anything except deliver your stupid papers!" he yelled.

"Get the fuck out!" roared the man. He raised the gun suddenly and brought it down. It struck Naruto hard on the shoulder. Naruto buckled under the weight and turned to scramble out of the way as Mr. Atsushi brought it down again this time bruising his side. He escaped out of the door, the tinkling sound followed by a crash as the man knocked his own stock over with the end of his gun in an attempt to hit him again.

"And you fucking stay out, you little criminal!" he shouted from inside the store.

Naruto didn't stop running till he got to the end of the street and around the corner, his foot burning in pain. The shopkeeper hadn't followed him, and he panted, trying to catch his breath.

_The fuck. The FUCK? _It wasn't fair. It wasn't fucking fair. He hadn't done anything. He punched the wall and immediately regretted it when the hard brick bruised his hands, small pieces digging into his skin.

What was he supposed to do now? Where would he get a job?

Naruto trekked to school, unsure of what else to do. He took his time, limping slowly, using a wall for support whenever possible. He felt the jingle of the two dollars in his pocket. He'd already bought a new bag with the ten dollars. Now he wished more than anything that he'd kept it...but he'd thought he had a permanent job. How long would two dollars last?

When he finally arrived it was almost 8am and Naruto went straight to the showers. He took the fastest shower of his life. His head still felt stuffy and his mouth was parched. He made his way to the bathrooms and drank gratefully from the fountain, splashing his face with water. He moved over to the sinks and looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes had faint dark patches under them. He looked tired. He sighed.

"At least it was a good party." he said to his reflection. "Don't let this get you down, Uzumaki."

He grinned and his reflection smiled back. Yeah, he'd find another job. It would all be ok. Still, he couldn't help wondering as he wandered to his locker and students began to crowd into the hall,

_How had Atsushi found out his name?_


	12. Up the Winding Stair

Cloud Cover

Chapter 11: Up the Winding Stair

_Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts._

~Arnold Bennett

* * *

><p>"Yo, Naruto. Grab a seat." said Kiba waving Naruto over in the cafeteria. Naruto grinned and pulled up a seat next to the boy. Shino sat next to Kiba's left, quiet and serious as usual. Sakura and Ino sat at the table too, and Sakura gave him a friendly smile while Ino nodded curtly.<p>

"How you feeling, man? My head feels like it's been hit by a sledgehammer." groaned Kiba.

Naruto shrugged. "I've been better."

Kiba laughed. "Yeah, I'll bet."

"That would be because you both drank too much." mumbled Shikamaru, the boy sat near them, his head in his arms, slumped forward. Naruto had thought he was asleep.

"No shit, Sherlock." said Kiba. "And I suppose you didn't?"

Shikamaru shook his head slightly, not looking up from his repose. "I prefer sleeping without the headache in the morning."

"You just like sleeping full stop, you lazy ass." replied Kiba. The other boy didn't reply.

Naruto looked up as Neji and Hinata sat down at the table. The pale-eyed boy had a smirk on his face.

"So you have fun last night?" he asked.

Naruto grinned. "Sure did. How about you? I barely saw you all night."

"I was otherwise engaged."

Kiba laughed loudly. "I'll bet. With that TenTen girl, right?"

The laughter died in his throat at the look Neji gave him.

"TenTen?" asked Naruto.

"S-she's a friend of ours." said Hinata. "W-works in the paper."

"I didn't see you at the party last night, Hinata." said Kiba suddenly.

Hinata blushed. "I-I'm not really the party type."

"Well, you should come to the next one." blurted Kiba and then turned red himself.

Naruto grinned to himself. _Interesting. _

Relief passed over Kiba's face when Sasuke sat down at the table taking the attention away from him.

"Whoa, you're actually willingly joining us?" he said in shock. The dark-haired teen said nothing, merely opening a tub of food. Beautiful aromas wafted out. "I'm not even going to ask if you had fun, pole-ass." said Kiba.

Sasuke didn't even look at him. "It was eventful." When he finally did look up, his eyes landed on Naruto. Naruto squirmed under his gaze, remembering the slightly drunken exchange they'd had, or at least, drunk on his part. It had been almost...friendly. Now that he thought about it had he been leaning into Sasuke's arms? Oh crap. Naruto felt his face reddening, but then a thought struck him.

"Wait." He said. "Did you pay for my taxi last night?"

Sasuke shrugged.

This time Naruto really did turn red. "You didn't need to do that. I'll pay you back."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and began to eat his food. "I don't want your stupid money. It was the only way I could get rid of you anyway."

"Fuck you. I'm paying you back. How much was it?"

"Where's your lunch, idiot?" said Sasuke suddenly. Naruto blinked and he looked down at the empty place on the table. So did everyone else.

"Oh, I guess I forgot it."

"You could get some cafeteria food." suggested Sakura. "It's not so great, but at least you won't starve."

Naruto laughed awkwardly. "Nah, it's fine. I'm not even that hungry."

"You can't go without lunch, Naruto. It's bad for you." said Ino.

"Yeah, you should eat properly. You look a little thin." added Sakura. Her big green eyes were on him, looking at him worriedly and the blonde teen was surprised he didn't melt there right on the spot. His face grew a brighter shade of red.

"Do you not have the money to buy any lunch, Naruto?" mumbled Shikamaru from his sleeping position.

Naruto looked over at the spiky-haired ponytail in shock. How did he know that?

"Ah, no. I've got money." he said quickly. "I uh, ok. I'll just go get some food then." The smile Sakura gave him took away any anxiety he felt as he handed over his last two dollars for a cafeteria lunch. He knew it was a stupid thing to do, but for some reason he didn't want anyone to know he didn't have money. For the first time in his life he felt normal, a part of the crowd, and he planned to keep it that way. Besides, he'd figure things out...somehow.

He returned to the table and set down a tray of what he guessed was some sort of lasagne and chips. At least he hoped it was lasagne.

"Ugh, what is this?" he asked as he picked up the strange cheesy mush. "It looks like something Akamaru would barf up."

"If you're going to be stupid enough to forget your own lunch, you can't complain about cafeteria food. Besides, aren't you the guy who lives off of that disgusting ramen?" said Sasuke.

"Fuck you, bastard." said Naruto quickly and gestured to Sasuke's beautifully arranged lunch. It was like the lunch Hinata had made. "We don't all have our mummies and daddie's making us our food in the morning."

"Whatever." was Sasuke's unsatisfactory reply.

There was an uncomfortable silence at the table. Even Kiba looked slightly awkward, and Naruto was left to wonder for the rest of lunchtime what he'd said wrong.

* * *

><p>"Oi, Kiba," Naruto whispered during English class. Iruka was detailing the finer points of similes, but Kiba was ignoring him, staring at Hinata a few desks ahead while she scribbled notes.<p>

Naruto tried again, hitting him on the arm. "Kiba."

"Uh? Wha?" said Kiba, tearing his eyes away from the girl. "What's up?"

"What was that about before?"

Kiba frowned. "What was what?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "You know, at lunch, the whole awkward silence thing. What did I say?"

"Oh, that's..." Here it was Kiba's turn to look uncomfortable. "It's that...Sasuke doesn't really have any parents."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What happened to them?"

Kiba shrugged. "I don't know all that happened. He never talks about it, but it was in the papers." Kiba checked to make sure Iruka wasn't watching and then leaned toward Naruto conspiratorially. "They said it was Sasuke's brother."

"Sasuke's brother? What about him?"

Kiba looked surprised. "You never heard anything about it? It was a pretty big story."

Naruto groaned. "Just tell me."

"Sasuke's brother killed his parents."

Naruto gaped at him.

"Then he just disappeared into thin air. No one knows where he went. He never went to jail. People say he was a psycho, killed them just for fun. He was going to kill Sasuke too apparently, but he got away. I don't know how. Like I said, he never talks about it. He never really talks to anybody about anything."

Kiba stared at Naruto for a moment, examining him. "Except for you. For some reason he actually willingly talks to you."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Only to insult me."

"Yeah, but...it's more than he does with anyone else."

"Great. Lucky me." muttered Naruto.

Kiba shrugged and went back to watching Hinata.

Naruto stared hard at the paper in front of him. Inside Naruto's thoughts were in a jumble. Sasuke's brother had killed his parents? Sheesh, he'd thought he had things bad with the crappy Home. Had Sasuke been brought up in a children's home as well then? Naruto had definitely never seen him at his. He realised suddenly that he knew nothing about him despite their heated exchanges. Maybe he'd been a bit harsh towards him...

Ugh, was he actually thinking about being nice to Sasuke? Impossible. Still, maybe...he could be slightly less of a dick.

* * *

><p>He saw Sasuke at his locker that afternoon. The teen was pulling out his bag. Naruto looked at his own locker and noted the faded red marks of paint. They were barely visible anymore.<p>

Naruto cleared his throat. "Uh, about before...I was outta line."

Sasuke stopped what he was doing and turned to look at him. "What're you talking about?"

Naruto squirmed under his gaze. "What I said about your parents. I didn't know...and stuff."

The boy's eyes turned ice cold. "Fuck off. I don't want your pity."

Naruto felt rage well up in him despite himself. "Fuck you, Uchiha. I'm not pitying you, I was trying to apologise for being a dick, but if you don't want that then...well, fuck you!"

Sasuke shouldered his bag and smirked. "Great apology."

The blonde teen glared at him. "Yeah, well, if you weren't such a bipolar dick you'd be easier to talk to."

Sasuke simply raised an eyebrow as he looked at him. "If you weren't such a screaming, whining brat you'd be easier to talk to as well."

"Uuugh," groaned Naruto. "You're so fucking annoying."

Sasuke just shrugged and began to walk away.

"Why didn't you tell me?" said Naruto to his back. "Why didn't you mention anything, all the times I made fun of your parents?"

The pale teen turned to look at him with dark eyes. "You don't go around telling everyone about your past. Why should I?" He sighed and turned his gaze from Naruto. "People change the way they act when they know that kind of shit." He looked back at Naruto. "Don't you think?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and grinned ruefully. "I guess." Then he looked at Sasuke and stuck out his tongue. "Well, I won't. You're still an asshole and you'll always be an asshole in my books."

The other teen smirked. "And you'll always be an idiot."

Sasuke walked down the hall, and Naruto grabbed his own things from his locker, a grin still stuck on his face.

* * *

><p>It was approaching dusk when Naruto walked home. He made his way slowly down his usual route, past the shops and cutting through the sparse park. He'd grown to like this park. It was far enough from the school that you didn't meet many students and bland enough that not many of the local kids hung out there either. There were no trees, few playthings and only a small field with yellowing grass, two goalposts marking a drab football pitch and two rather depressed-looking swings.<p>

Naruto was thankful for those goalposts now. It was his practice here that had shown him Rasengan. He sank gratefully down onto one of the swings to rest his ankle, and closed his eyes, letting himself sway in the gentle Spring breeze. It was warm, calm and Naruto felt a delicious contentment fill him.

"Look at that, guys." said a voice, cutting through the quiet evening. "The freak's finally acting his age."

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he stood quickly. _He'd been followed_. Standing in front of him were Kenta, Goro and the third senior he'd met during his run-in with Hinata. Junichi was his name? He was grinning a cheshire cat smile at Naruto now, his floppy sandy hair framing soulless gray eyes, or maybe they just looked soulless when directed at him. Kenta was also grinning, his face slightly flushed as he cracked his knuckles.

"What's wrong, guys?" Naruto couldn't resist. "Still sore about the match?"

Kenta's cocky smile vanished and he took a step towards the smaller blonde. "You think you're all that just because you scored some lucky shot?" He spat at the ground. "People might be treating you like you're something, but you're not. You're still nothing but a loser _freak_."

Naruto smirked and motioned to the boys behind Kenta. "You always this brave or just when you've got your lackeys backing you up? I seem to remember you running away like a little girl the last time we had a fair fight."

The senior narrowed his pale, blue eyes. "I could take you down easy, freak." Then he smirked. "But this way is more fun."

Naruto dodged aside as Kenta lunged towards him. He turned quickly, throwing the swing into the older boy's stomach. The breath was knocked out of him, but Goro and Junichi dodged around towards Naruto.

Naruto quickly grabbed the chain link of one of the swings, and, using it as leverage, jumped up, kicking Junichi in the side of the head with his good leg. The boy yelled with pain and drew back, and Naruto stumbled as he dropped back down to the ground onto his twisted ankle. Goro came around behind and grabbed him, and he struggled against Goro's meaty arms, giving him a sharp dig in the ribs.

"Oof!" The boy let go, but by this time both Kenta and Junichi had recovered. They circled him. Naruto waited for them to make their move and dodged aside as Kenta aimed a left jab at his face. Naruto looked for an opening in the circle. If he could get around the back of one of them...

"What's wrong, freak? No Neji here to help you out this time?"

"I don't need him to take you down. I just need to show you a mirror and you'd die from shock."

Kenta scowled at him and Goro shouted, "Let's fucking kill him, Kenta!"

"You talk big, Uzumaki." said Kenta. "But you're nothing. You know what they'll write on your gravestone? Naruto Uzumaki...died a coward just like his traitor parents."

The younger boy saw red. He lunged at Kenta. "Don't you fucking talk about them!"

He hit Kenta hard in the jaw and the boy stumbled back, but before Naruto could hit him again he felt his arms grabbed from behind. He kicked backwards at Junichi, making the boy let out a cry of pain, but Goro grabbed his arms too and neither boy let go. He was held firmly between them as he struggled.

Kenta was standing before him. He rubbed his jaw and gave Naruto a grim smile before punching him hard in the face. Stars exploded in Naruto's vision. He shook his head trying to clear it when-

WHAM!

He was hit again in the same place right on his cheekbone.

SMACK!

Kenta hit him again, this time on the other side of his face. Naruto let out a groan of pain when Kenta's fist barrelled into his stomach, knocking the breath out of him.

Naruto was weaker in the two boy's grip now as his vision slowly cleared and he panted for breath. The boy's laughter rang vaguely in his ears.

"Now, let me see..." Kenta's voice cut through the fog in Naruto's mind. "What was it the Uzumakis are famous for again?" Naruto forced himself to raise his chin and glared. Kenta smiled back with mocking eyes. "Oh yeah, Minato and Kushina, wasn't that their names? Members of the elite fox unit sent to infiltrate the Akatsuki mafia... and what do they do?"

He grabbed Naruto's hair and pulled his head up to face him again. "They fucking sell everyone out!" He punched Naruto hard in the stomach and the boy let out a strangled cry.

"Every comrade." He punched him again. "Every informant." The fist swung in again. "Every single fucking person who ever... helped...them!" The last words were each punctuated by a blow to his stomach and when he finally stopped Naruto hung limply between Goro and Junichi.

The boys next to him let him go suddenly and he fell to the ground in a heap, the bark chips of the park softened the fall, but he clutched his stomach in pain and blood leaked from his mouth.

Kenta and his friends turned away, leaving him on the ground. Naruto looked up and struggled to rise to his feet, only getting as far as kneeling.

"Kenta, y-you fucking coward, come and fight me one-on-one!"

Kenta turned back. That same look of surprise on his face as the day they'd first met. Goro picked up a large stick and offered it to the senior, but Kenta shook his head. "He wants to fight, let's fight."

Naruto got quickly to his feet, wincing in pain. Kenta, meanwhile, muttered something quietly to Goro and the boy moved aside.

"Let's go then, freak." he said.

Naruto moved forward, aiming a punch, but he was slower than usual and Kenta dodged aside easily. His eyes flicked to Goro who had now moved behind Naruto. The younger boy didn't realise in time. His eyes widened and he tried to turn when Goro swung the branch, slamming it into the side of his head.

Pain shot through him, and he went down again, lying still as stars flared up in his vision. He suddenly felt pain shoot through his leg and let out a cry of pain. Kenta had stomped on his ankle. When he finally recovered enough to open his eyes, the gang of boys were almost out of the park walking calmly away.

* * *

><p>Kiba was hanging with Shino at the school doors that morning. He waved when he saw Naruto, but stopped quickly.<p>

"Dude, what happened to your face?" Kiba gaped at him. Naruto could understand why. His cheek had grown in size overnight and his eye had turned a beautiful purple colour. He shrugged.

"Got in a fight."

"With who? The Incredible Hulk?"

Naruto couldn't help laughing. "Nah, you know Kenta and his gang?"

Kiba's eyes darkened. "Fuck yeah, I know them. Everyone knows them. Complete idiots, they are."

"You should be careful, Naruto." said Shino.

"Yeah, no shit." replied Naruto with a grin. "But I'm good. I got them a few hits too."

Kiba laughed. "That's mah boy. Sure you're all right though?"

"I'm cool. It looks worse than it is."

Kiba grinned and slapped him on the back, making him wince. "You are all kinds of weird, but I like it. Come on."

He headed into the school. The others had a lot of questions at lunch when they saw his face. When he explained the bare bones of what had happened Neji was looking angry, Sasuke grim and the girls worried. It made him glad he'd skimmed the details, going no further than to say he'd gotten in a fight.

"Are you sure you're ok, Naruto?" said Sakura, looking at him worriedly. He wished she wouldn't do that.

"You should report them to the principal." added Ino.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "I can look after myself. It's cool, really. Not a big deal." It was weird getting this kind of attention over something that had happened so often. Usually people just ignored his bruises and moved on. This...he wasn't sure how to handle this.

"Not a big deal?" said Sakura in disbelief. "They beat you up!"

Naruto frowned. "Well, I did fight back. It's not like I rolled over and let them."

"Yes, but-"

"Leave him alone, Sakura." said Sasuke. Both Ino and Sakura looked at him in shock.

"S-Sasuke, he needs to talk to the principal." said Sakura nervously. "Don't you think?"

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto. The blond teen could see it in his eyes. He was remembering their first fight in the hallway. Like hell the principal would help Naruto.

"Principal Stein is an idiot. Besides, if Naruto says he can look after himself then he can look after himself. You're just making things worse." Sasuke dug into his food after this little speech.

Sakura looked stricken, and Naruto laughed nervously. "He didn't mean that. It-It's just really not a big deal. Thanks for your concern though, Sakura. I appreciate it. I'm fine though."

"Fine. Whatever." said Sakura with a sigh. "Boys are so weird." Ino nodded her agreement.

"If you have trouble with them again, Naruto. Give me a call. I wouldn't mind another confrontation with them." said Neji.

Naruto grinned. "Sure, man. Thanks."

And that was that. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when he got to Chemistry later that day. He was sitting next to Sasuke, but they didn't talk about it anymore.

After class, Orochimaru approached him again.

"Naruto, I believe you have detention with me, is that right?"

Sasuke gave him a questioning look.

"Oh...oh yeah, sorry, Mr. Orochimaru, I forgot."

"Not a problem. If you'd like to come by this classroom after school, then we can sort out the rest of your detention. I'll see you then."

Naruto nodded and left with Sasuke. Stupid detention with that creepy man. How could he have forgotten?

When he arrived back at the classroom that afternoon, Orochimaru was sitting calmly at his desk.

"Naruto," he said. There was concern in his eyes. "I didn't want to ask in front of your classmates, but I can see that you've been having some trouble. Anything you want to talk about?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "Uh no, nothing particular."

Orochimaru smiled. Why was it so creepy when he smiled? "I see. Well, you know you can always talk to me if you need anything."

Naruto nodded. Hadn't Iruka said something similar? Somehow when he said it it sounded different. From this teacher it sounded...he couldn't place the feeling.

"How is your job going, Naruto?" asked Orochimaru with that same smile.

Naruto stiffened. "It's uh..." Should he just say it? "...not so good, I guess. I lost my job."

Orochimaru frowned. "That's a shame. I find a job can be an excellent way for teenagers to learn some responsibility." He smiled. "Still, there's always a silver lining. You see, Naruto, it seems we need to figure out what to do with you for the rest of your detention." The man pulled something out of his drawer. A package. "I don't always do things conventionally. You won't need to stay in class for your detention. Rather, perhaps I could impose upon you to run another errand for me."

Naruto frowned. _Another one? What was with these errands?_

The man stood. "I'll pay you, of course. In fact, if you like I could give you a job as a delivery boy. I'm sure you need the money now and I'd like to help out in any way I can."

Naruto was suspicious of random acts of kindness at the best of times, but the sheer oddness of this man increased that suspicion tenfold.

His face was a mask of pleasantness, but something about those eyes...

"Why do you want to help me?" he asked.

Orochimaru raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "I'm your teacher. I care about my students. Besides I do need a delivery boy with the right...qualities. All I ask is that you be discreet, respect my clients' privacy since the things I deliver as part of my business are rather confidential."

Confidential usually meant trouble.

"And what business would that be?"

Orochimaru smiled. "If I told you that it wouldn't be confidential, now would it? Suffice to say, I help people with their problems in various ways, but they prefer to keep their problems private. If you can respect that then, Naruto, you can consider yourself employed. Twenty dollars per delivery."

Naruto's eyes widened. That price was insane! He'd be living like a king off of that. Naruto licked his lips nervously. It's not like Orochimaru could be doing anything illegal. He was a teacher for crying out loud. Besides, he'd just be delivering stuff for people who liked their privacy, he reasoned. What was the harm in that? Especially if Orochimaru was helping them.

He quashed the niggling voice in his head and the uncomfortable feeling in his gut.

"Done." he said, picking up his bag. Naruto missed the gleam that flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

"Excellent. If you could deliver this to Kakeno Street. It is slightly farther away than your usual deliveries. Think you can find your way there?"

"Not a problem." the boy replied as he put the package in his bag and shouldered his backpack.

"Um..." he paused before heading out the door, "Thank you...Mr. Orochimaru."

The teacher nodded and smiled, "Not at all, Naruto-kun. Not at all."

* * *

><p>Orochimaru wasn't lying when he said it was out of the way. About half an hour off his route home, Naruto found himself in a neighbourhood that looked like the poor man's version of the picture-perfect suburbia.<p>

The streets were lined with detached white houses and square lawns, only the paint was graying and peeling on most, half the windows were boarded up and the picket fences were broken, vaguely bordering yellowing, weed-strewn grass.

It looked like a place that had once been ideal only to be left to ruin and Naruto felt strangely nervous as he walked down the silent street in the darkening evening. A curtain twitched at a nearby window and Naruto quickened his step slightly.

"Number 34. Number 34." he murmured to himself. "Where are you?"

Finally, he came to a stop in front of a black gate with two rusting numbers on it. 34. _Jackpot._

Naruto looked up and his eyes widened. Now this was a big house, far bigger than the rest. Instead of a broken fence it was surrounded by high black railings and sat hidden farther in by surrounding trees. The driveway stretched into the property until it was eclipsed by trees and the house was practically invisible behind the foliage.

Naruto took a deep breath and pushed open the gate, walking cautiously up the drive. Last thing he wanted to meet was an angry dog.

When he arrived at a peeling door, he could barely see the street. He lifted his hand and knocked.

After a moment the door opened. To Naruto's suprise, the young man who stood framed in the hallway was nothing like Shunsuke and the last sickly-looking man he'd delivered to. Instead, he was smart and clean-shaven. His hair was gray, strangely enough, although his face was decidedly young, probably only a few years older than Naruto. And on his nose sat a pair of orund spectacles. They reminded Naruto of Principal Stein's glasses, but this guy had nothing of the principal's air. He smiled warmly at Naruto.

"You must be the new delivery boy. Orochimaru's got you running his errands, I hear."

The anxiety faded from Naruto and he couldn't help smiling back. "That's right. For a fee at least."

Kabuto laughed. "As it should be, Naruto. As it should be." He put out his hand. "I'm Kabuto by the way. If you ever need anything, you can always come to me."

Naruto shook it, wondering what on earth he would need Kabuto for. Still, the offer was friendly, and he smiled.

"Thanks."

"So, you have something for me?" said Kabuto.

Oh, he'd almost forgotten. "Yeah, sorry." Naruto pulled the package out of his backpack and handed it over to the taller guy. "Here you go."

Kabuto smiled. "Thank you, Naruto. I'll see you around?"

Naruto grinned back. "Sure. See you next time!"

He walked back home feeling light. This job wasn't so bad after all. Now that he thought about it, why had he had misgivings anyway? Things were looking up again. Even his ankle was feeling a lot better. Man, he loved his fast healing abilities. A few days and it was already improving. Yep, life was pretty good.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I build them up to knock them down. :S

The past few chapter titles were taken from the poem, 'The Spider and the Fly'.

Next will be Chapter 12:_ Into the Pantry_ ...I'll let you connect the dots.


	13. Into the Pantry

**AN:** Shit's about to go down. ;)

Thanks again to _midnight-camillia, Syai_ and _sugardash_ for your returning reviews. :) You guys are brilliant, or in _Syai's_ words - awesome. And thanks to _Teng_ for your first review (you're awesome too)! :D I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and hopefully I can keep that up. I'm visiting a friend for a few days (going to party!) but I'll be back and will try and update Tuesday or soon after. I hate waiting for updates on fics which is why I try and get stuff up as fast as possible. :D

_midnight-camilia_ - I'm not a fan of too sappy a relationship either. :D It's too ooc for them I find. Glad I'm not the only one.

_Syai_ - Haha, yeah, the job_ was_ pretty short-lived. You're probably right about the beating. It was pretty harsh. Naruto's a tough kid and heals fast, but perhaps I should've given him a bit more time to recover. I may go back and tweak that in future. As for the soccer/football thing. It's soccer. It's called football in my country, but I thought I'd changed all the words to soccer. Must've missed some. I think I've changed them all now so it should be clearer. And yeah, it is a sasunaru story although I'm not sure how far things will go relationship-wise. I don't want to give too much away so we'll see. ;)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 12: Into the Pantry

_"Life is a thing that mutates without warning, not always in enviable ways. All part of the improbable adventure of being alive, of being a brainy biped with giant dreams on a crazy blue planet."_

~ Diane Ackerman

* * *

><p>Two days. Two days of seeing friends, going to school and making loads of money. Two days of managing not to fight with Sasuke...too much. And only two days left of detention, not that he even had it really. He would just go to Orochimaru after school and be sent on errands. It was a joke. Paid to do detention? Paid two ten dollar notes. Only two deliveries to make - Kabuto and Shunsuke. Yes, two was a wonderful number.<p>

Naruto couldn't help smiling to himself as he wandered down the street past those cookie-cut, run-down houses. The sun was shining, the birds were singing. It felt like everything he'd dreamed of having had finally come to him, but the boy was completely unaware of the figure following him.

He stopped when he reached a familiar house at the end of the street, hidden behind the trees, and Naruto went through the gate up to the front door, this time without his previous anxiety.

He knocked confidently and Kabuto opened the door.

"Naruto." he said warmly. "How nice to see you?"

"Hey, Kabuto." greeted the teen. "I've got your delivery here." He pulled the package out of his bag.

"Excellent. Thank you." He reached out to take it.

"Is that it there, Kabuto?" a voice interrupted.

Naruto turned, the package still in his hands, the package which this new person was staring at hungrily. His brown hair was dishevelled and he kept shifting nervously, his hands dug deep in his jacket pockets.

"You were due to come by at 6pm, Mitsuru. It's only 5." said Kabuto calmly, but there was a tone of deadly warning in his voice. Naruto looked at him in surprise. He was looking at this intruder unsmiling.

"Why don't you come back and we can discuss business then."

"Why?" asked the man, glancing at Kabuto. "So you can up the price again and rip me off?" He licked his lips, eyes fixed once again on the parcel in Naruto's hands, and the boy couldn't resist stepping back as he advanced slowly. His back hit the man continued to advance. "Why do that when I could take the whole supply here and now, for free?"

Kabuto moved forward slightly, placing himself in the man's path to Naruto. "Do that and where will you get more, Mitsuru? I certainly wouldn't supply you if you stole from me."

The look in the man's eyes was almost wild as Kabuto blocked his view of the parcel. He tried to move around him. "You think I fucking care? I need some _now_."

"Come back at 6 and you'll get all you need."

"Kabuto, what the hell is going on?" asked Naruto. Kabuto glanced at him, distracted for a fraction of a second, but it was long enough.

Without warning the man lashed out. He hit Kabuto hard in the face and the man stumbled back. "Fuck that, you've jerked me around long enough, Kabuto. I'm not leaving here without it." He dug into his pocket and Naruto saw a flash as he raised a knife in the air. "C'mere, kid!"

Naruto did what any sane person would do in that situation. He ran. He bolted down the only escape route he had, into the house and down the dark corridor.

The man pushed past Kabuto, pursuing the boy, his eyes fixed hungrily on the package in his hands.

"Give it to me!" he yelled. Naruto threw the package towards him. Fuck, he sure as hell didn't need it. He kept running. The corridor seemed to go on forever in twists and turns, but he couldn't hear the thudding footsteps of Mitsuru behind him anymore. He opened the nearest door and dashed in, slamming it shut behind him. No one tried to open the door, and he felt his heart rate begin to calm as he stood there. The room was dark, not a single window shed any light, but Naruto could hear an odd sound in the stillness, the quiet sound of wind rushing through something. He fumbled on the wall for a switch, and finding one, he pressed it. There was the buzz of fluorescent lights flickering on, and the scene that met his eyes made Naruto freeze in horror.

The room was pure white and sterile clean. Lining the walls were charts, bubbling chemicals and small jars filled with pills and other concoctions, but this was not what shocked him. There, lying in the middle of the room on a metal hospital bed lay a man. He looked like he'd been in a car crash. His head was shaved with jagged scars running along the scalp. His chest and arms were covered in scars too, some healed, some still healing as large scabs had formed into ugly red sores. He appeared to be naked although a sheet was covering the lower half of him, and shoved into various parts of his upper body were countless wires and tubes. A machine nearby was pumping air, making that strange rushing sound, and Naruto could see the rise and fall of the man's chest move in motion with the machine as it supplied him with oxygen through a tube in his throat although the movement was somewhat restricted by two black straps that stretched over his torso fastening him securely to the table.

Naruto stepped forward, hypnotised by the gruesome sight. He walked up carefully to the bedside. The man appeared unconscious, on the brink of death. His face was thin and gaunt, every single skeletal rib stuck out on his chest, and his arms were stick-like bones , the flesh hanging loosely from them. Naruto let out a yelp of surprise when one of those bony arms moved quick as a flash and grasped Naruto's arm in a grip that was surprisingly strong. The man's eyes were open, staring at him.

"H-help...me." he croaked.

Naruto couldn't speak. He just mouthed wordlessly, trying to think of what to do when the door opened behind him. Naruto jerked his hand out of the man's grip and turned to face the doorway.

Kabuto stepped into the room. Blood dripped from the white-haired man's hands and Naruto felt the breath catch in his throat as he put a knife on the stainless steel counter next to him. _Mitsuru's knife._

"What the fuck is this?" whispered Naruto. Then louder. "What the _FUCK _is this?"

Kabuto smiled. The once friendly warmth in his eyes had given way to a cold gleam.

"It would have been easier to have left you in ignorance, Naruto, but I suppose it can't be helped." He picked up a towel and began to wipe the blood calmly from his hands onto the white cotton linen.

"I see you've met Experiment B." He gestured to the man on the table who was no longer attempting to move, but his eyes were staring at Kabuto with wild fear.

"Experiment?" murmured Naruto, moving back around the metal bed as Kabuto began to walk towards him. "Experiment for what?"

Kabuto smiled, his eyes flashing behind his glasses. "Why, for a brighter future, of course."

Naruto looked down at the man, barely alive on the table and back at Kabuto. "You're insane."

Kabuto shrugged. "Some of the greatest geniuses in the history of man were considered insane. I'd be proud to count myself amongst them."

Naruto swallowed. "He needs to go to a hospital."

Kabuto stepped towards him on the other side of the man, only the bed separating them. "No need to be so worried, Naruto. I know he looks in a bad way, but we're helping him. He gets everything he needs here." Kabuto motioned to a long plastic tube attached to the man's arm and the breathing tube in the man's throat, and smiled. "Everything needed to keep him alive."

Naruto began to edge towards the door.

"Now, Naruto," said Kabuto, a tone of warning edging his voice. "I hope you're not thinking about going to the police. It would be useless."

Naruto's eyes flicked towards the door, and Kabuto stopped smiling. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

A large beaker of strange yellow liquid lay on the counter next to Naruto, and the boy did the only thing he could think of. He picked it up and threw it as hard as he could at Kabuto's head. The man let out a yell as the beaker smashed on impact, the liquid splashing over his face, and Naruto took his chance. He dashed out of the hospital-like room and down the hall, almost falling over something in the hallway in his hurry. He looked down and felt his blood freeze. The man who had chased him with the knife was staring up at him, his eyes lifeless and glassy. A huge gash stretched across his neck like a second gaping mouth, and blood had pooled around his head.

Naruto let out a strangled cry and ran. He could hear Kabuto's footsteps as he chased after him now. Naruto dodged around a corner and could see the front door. His blessed escape. His breathing was ragged, but he pushed himself to reach it, grabbing the handle and running out into the sunlight. He shot down the path to the front gate.

Chancing a glance behind him he could see Kabuto watching him from the doorway, panting, but no longer following him. Still, Naruto did not stop running. He kept going, out of the neighbourhood, down street after street, ignoring the pain in his ankle screaming at him to stop until he barely knew where he was.

Eventually, weariness overtook him and he stopped in an alleyway, sinking down next to a dumpster, and putting his head in his hands. His mind was still in a jumble and he felt sick. The man on the table kept flashing before his eyes and the slack face of the dead body in the hallway. Naruto dreaded to think what was in the other rooms of that house.

What was Kabuto doing there? The hell _was_ that? A brighter future? The fuck?

It took a moment before Naruto realised he still had his backpack on. He pulled out Shunsuke's package and tore it open with trembling hands. He reached into the packet and pulled out a jar of small red pills. The cold realisation sank in. He, Naruto Uzumaki, was a drug runner.

Orochimaru had had him delivering drugs. How the fuck had he not realised, or even thought? Naruto literally wanted to kick himself into the dirt. How could he have been so stupid?_ Helping people my ass_. He should've said 'Fuck you.' the moment Orochimaru mentioned 'confidential'. Of course the money was too good, too tempting. There was always a catch. He should've listened to his gut.

Naruto sighed.

He pulled his knees up to his chin. He knew what he had to do, he just didn't want to do it. The image of the man on the table bubbled to the surface of Naruto's mind, the man's frightened whisper for help. He couldn't do nothing after what he'd seen. Naruto rose shakily to his feet, flexing his ankle and began a slow walk down the side streets, making his way to the main road. He knew where he was going. Eventually he arrived at his destination, standing in front of a large, concrete building. A large sign saying, 'Police' in large white letters was placed above the entrance. Naruto Uzumaki took a deep breath and walked into the police station.

* * *

><p>Inside it was all bustling activity. Doors were open to some offices and stressed policemen were working at their desks, not even looking up as Naruto walked past them to the reception. A cop passed him in the hall, hauling a drunken, yelling man. He stopped in front of the reception desk.<p>

"I've got a perp for processing. Drunk driving."

The man at the desk nodded, pressing a buzzer. "Go on through." he said, and the pair were gone.

Naruto swallowed and walked up to the officer sitting at the desk. He was an older man with dark hair turning silver along the sides. His eyes were small and pale blue, and he looked at Naruto in irritation as the boy stood there nervously.

"Can I help you?" he said, impatience lacing his voice.

Naruto shifted the bag on his back. He didn't feel comfortable in these kinds of places. "I, uh, I'd like to report a...a murder."

The cop's expression of irritation didn't change. "A murder." he repeated. "By whom? Yourself?"

"What?" said Naruto in surprise. "No. I-it was a man named Kabuto. He killed this guy who was, well, I guess he was chasing me, but I went into...I found a room in his house and it had this guy on the table and there were wires coming out of him and he's doing some sort of sick experiments and-"

The man held up a hand to stop him. "Kabuto Yakushi?"

Naruto nodded. How did he know?

"And what were you doing at his house?"

Naruto's mouth felt dry. Should he mention the drugs? He hadn't known. "I was, I was running an errand for-"

The cop held up his hand again and narrowed his eyes. "It's interesting that you report this since we just received a report by someone called Kabuto Yakushi saying that a kid, " He glanced down at some papers in front of him. "matching your description had broken into his house and when he confronted this kid, he ran." He looked back up at Naruto. "Anything about your statement you'd like to amend, kid?" He waved at an officer further down the corridor who began to walk over cautiously.

Naruto couldn't believe this. "Are you even listening to me? He killed a guy!"

"You saw him do this?"

"Well, no, but I saw-"

"But this Kabuto guy is doing experiments in his evil lair, is that right?"

This was insane. "You think I'm just making this all up for the hell of it?"

The cop watched him calmly. "We've had stranger. Particularly when criminals are trying to save their own hides."

Naruto just gaped at him.

"You on drugs, kid?" asked the cop bluntly.

"What? No!" He shifted his backpack nervously.

"You seem to be taking good care of that bag there." said the man at the desk. "Kabuto said he was a medical researcher, stocking supplies for his studies. That wouldn't be why you broke in now, would it? For drugs? Why don't you open that up and let us have a look inside. Then we'll see how your story lines up, shall we?"

Naruto swallowed. The man at reception was standing now and the other cop was still advancing carefully as it not to startle him.

"What's your name, kid?"

"It-it's..." Naruto began to move back. "...Daisuke."

The officer at the desk gave him a twisted smile. "That's odd because the guy on the phone said that it was a Naruto Uzumaki who broke into his house."

The unfriendly reception suddenly made a whole lot of sense. The man came out from behind the desk.

"Now, this Kabuto guy said he didn't want to press charges, but you know, a lot of good cops lost their lives here thanks to you and your parents, and here's you paying us all back by what? Committing crimes and running around doing drugs? I think a little jail time could be just what you need."

Naruto's eyes widened. The cop near him lunged and he dodged back, making a break for it the second time that day.

"Get 'im!" yelled the older cop, but the officers behind the desks were slow. Some only half-rose as Naruto dashed past them. When he reached the door of the police station he looked back to see neither of the two cops in pursuit, only glaring at him from down the hall.

"Get the fuck out, Uzumaki before I change my mind and put you in a jail cell!" shouted the older cop.

Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He pushed open the door and ran, ran all the way to his apartment and shut himself in his room. He sank down on the bed. His ankle hurt like hell and he pulled off his shoes, gratefully feeling the pressure ease off his swollen foot.

He lay back on the bed. _What the hell?_ He'd just seen a man killed and the police weren't going to do jack shit. The fuck? Letting their judgement be clouded over because of his name? Naruto groaned.

He should've sent an anonymous tip by phone or something. He sat up. Maybe he could still do that. No, but now they would know who was calling. They thought he was the criminal. He'd just get himself in more trouble and possibly sent to jail. Naruto pulled the packet out of his backpack. He couldn't even use this as evidence anymore. It would only incriminate him.

"Fuck." he muttered. "What the hell do I do?"

Did Orochimaru know? Was he involved in what was going on at that house, or was Kabuto just a fucking loner psychopath? Surely his teacher couldn't know what was going on in that house. After all, Kabuto was just another druggie customer, right? There was no way. Maybe if he talked to him, he'd back him up. Naruto snorted. Why would the man do that? It would just get him incriminated as a drug dealer. Still, there was a big leap between drug dealing and experimenting on and killing people. They could leave out the drug dealing when reporting Kabuto...

Naruto looked at the package in his hands. Besides, even if Orochimaru was unwilling, Naruto now had leverage. It wasn't much, but it was something, blackmail that could be used to make Orochimaru cooperate. He wouldn't want to be exposed. He still had Shunsuke's drugs and he could bluff reporting Orochimaru if he didn't cooperate. After all, the teacher didn't need to know what had happened at the police station. Naruto knew it was a long shot, but hell, it was all he had.

He bit his lip and shoved the package back in his bag. Maybe Sasuke would know what to do, or Shikamaru. He seemed a pretty smart guy, but wait, wasn't his dad a cop? And if Naruto told them anything who was to guarantee they wouldn't get dragged into it too? No, he'd have to talk to Orochimaru, see how far into this he was. One thing was for sure, Naruto wasn't going to be involved in this shitty situation any longer than he had to be.

* * *

><p>Naruto went to bed that night unable to sleep a wink. The pale, dead eyes of Mitsuru's body crept into his mind's eye and he kept expecting to hear police sirens sound, coming to round him up, or worse, for Kabuto to break into the apartment, the blood still on the knife held in his hands. But no one came and Naruto got up slowly at the chirping of the birds and the greying dawn, getting numbly into his clothes for another day at school, but this time with no idea of what it could possibly bring.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: I've got the Jaws theme stuck in my head now. Dundun dundun dundundundundundun! Dadaduuuun! Poor Naruto. He can be a bit dim sometimes.

Next chapter will be _Chapter 13: And Into the Den._


	14. And Into the Den

**AN: **I refer you to the warnings in the prologue for this chapter.

Thanks again for the reviews, _sugardash, Randomperson, mugiwaraboshi and ImNotCrazy _(methinks the lady doth protest too much).

sugardash - Yeah a lot of it's not really meant to be hidden from the reader. It's like a train crash the readers can see coming, but Naruto is the person facing the other way on the tracks. I'm an evil author. :/

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 13: And Into the Den

_"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." _

~Leo Tolstoy

* * *

><p>Things passed in a kind of daze. Sakura and Ino chattered during lunch, and he vaguely remembered grunting and nodding whenever they directed things at him. He dug into his ramen, but although he ate, he didn't feel too hungry. He couldn't stop thinking about the guy on the operating table, his wide, scared eyes. Naruto shivered.<p>

"Naruto? Hey, Naruto, are you even listening to me?"

Naruto looked up quickly. Ino was glaring at him.

"Huh? Wha?"

Ino gave an exaggerated sigh. "I said we're going to the cinema after school, you wanna come or what?"

Naruto smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Ino. I'd love to, but I've got detention and then I've got work."

"What do you do anyway?" asked Sakura. Today her pretty green eyes didn't make his breath catch. Instead, he could only think of that green liquid being pumped into the man on the table.

"I uh, I work as a messenger, you know courier and stuff."_ Please don't let them ask any more about it, _he begged inwardly. His prayers must have been answered when nobody did and he dug into his ramen once again.

"You ok?" asked Neji quietly, making sure the others didn't hear him. His pale eyes were watching him carefully.

Naruto quickly flashed him a grin. "Sure. Just tired."

Neji cocked a brow. "Is Shunsuke giving you trouble?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, it's nothing like that. I'm pretty good at the lock-picking now. I just... didn't sleep well last night."

"Ok, if you say so." said Neji, but he didn't seem satisfied as he picked up a forkful of food, and Naruto looked up to see Sasuke's watching him from across the table. Had he heard the conversation? Naruto couldn't be sure. He hadn't told anyone else about his problems getting into the apartment, and he was pretty sure Neji had been discreet.

Naruto sighed. It didn't matter now anyway. He had bigger things to worry about now than people simply finding out his guardian was giant douchebag. Hell, he'd prefer if people thought that was the problem for now.

* * *

><p>"What's been up with you today?" asked Sasuke as they walked to physics class together. Last period of the day...with Orochimaru, and then detention. Would Kabuto be there?<p>

Naruto shrugged. "Just feeling a bit tired."

"You sure that's all it is?" persisted Sasuke.

Naruto frowned at him. "Yeah, man, what else would it be?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You tell me. You've been completely out of it today. You weren't even fawning over Sakura."

Naruto snapped at that comment. "Well, what's it got to do with you anyway? Since when did you become so_ sweet_ and _caring_?" He laid the sarcasm down thick.

The cold look Sasuke gave him immediately made him regret it. "You're right." he said in an icy tone. "Asking about your wellbeing. What a stupid fucking mistake for me to make. I'm just an asshole, right?"

Naruto gaped. "Wait, I..." Before Naruto could even begin to backtrack what he'd said, the dark-haired boy brushed past him into the classroom. Orochimaru was already there and Sasuke sat down at his assigned seat without another word or look at Naruto.

The blonde teen sat down in his own seat next to him. _Fuck._ He hadn't meant to snap like that. Sasuke had actually been being - dare he say it - _friendly_, and Naruto had just screwed it up. But he wasn't used to this, people asking him what was wrong and noticing his problems. He wanted more than anything to tell Sasuke what was wrong, but if he got involved... Right now Naruto just needed to be left alone to figure things out.

He chanced a glance at Orochimaru at the front of the room who had already started his lecture. Had Kabuto mentioned anything to Orochimaru? Would he do the same thing as he did with the police and tell him that Naruto had tried to steal drugs? He swallowed.

Thoughts kept whirling through his mind and he barely took in a word of the lesson that day. Orochimaru for his part was unruffled and only when his eyes rested on Naruto for a fraction of a second, did the boy wonder if he knew.

He stood nervously at the end of the lesson, packing books back into his bag. He watched the other students file past. Sasuke left without a word, his black hair disappearing into the sea of students that floated down the hallways, chattering happily.

"Can you close the door, please, Naruto?"

Naruto tore his eyes from the doorway through which Sasuke had long since disappeared and turned to look at Orochimaru. He was sitting at his desk, a light smile on his face.

Naruto swallowed and went over to shut the door. The hallways were quiet now. Nothing different here. This was what they always did. Naruto felt like kicking himself for never really considering why Orochimaru had insisted the door be closed. _Because he was asking me to deliver fucking illegal drugs_.

The man seemed so calm, as if nothing was amiss, and for a fleeting moment, Naruto wondered if he could just pretend nothing had happened, and continue delivering, just do his job, just not say anything...at all. But...he knew it would be the cowardly way out, and he couldn't, he just _couldn't_. Not after what he'd seen.

Orochimaru's voice broke through his thoughts. "Did everything go smoothly yesterday, Naruto-kun?"

The question took him by surprise. Did Orochimaru not know? Or was he just waiting for Naruto to tell him himself?

"If you can call it that." replied Naruto. He took a deep breath. _Time to address the elephant in the room._ "Did you know?"

The look Orochimaru gave him was not what he expected. It was...amusement.

"Know?" he questioned.

Naruto was not in the mood for games, and burst out, "Did you fucking know what Kabuto was doing at his house? He's...he's fucking experimenting on people!"

What Orochimaru said next made Naruto's blood run cold.

"Indeed, Naruto. In fact, he is doing so under my direction."

His golden eyes were fixed on Naruto's sapphire ones, watching him carefully. The blonde boy blinked several times, trying to process this information.

"How...how can you...?" He stared at the snake-like man. How was it even possible that he could knowingly do this to people? It was sick! This man was sick.

"Well, you're going to have to let that man go." said Naruto, his resolve strengthening.

Orochimaru smiled. "And why would I do that?"

Naruto quickly pulled the package out of his backpack. His last-ditch bluff. "Because, fucker, I've got evidence against you and Kabuto. I take this to the police and you both go down."

He was holding the package up now, ready to make a break for it in case Orochimaru tried to grab it, but the man made no move apart from leaning back into his chair and giving Naruto an amused look.

"Like you did yesterday, Naruto-kun? That worked very well." He smiled. "Your _naïveté_ would be pathetic if it wasn't so useful."

Naruto stood very still, glaring at Orochimaru with hatred. Anger was pulsing through his veins, and he wanted nothing more than to punch his smug, smarmy lights out. He threw the package onto the desk.

"Then I'm done. I don't want any part of this. You're a drug dealer, a fucking _murderer_, and I don't wanna know what else you're doing."

Orochimaru gazed calmly at Naruto, ignoring the package on the desk. He stood and Naruto immediately stepped back on his heels, taking a defensive stance, but Orochimaru did not move towards him. He simply picked up the package, turning it over in his hands.

"It is sad, Naruto, that you can't understand what I'm trying to do. I would have thought that..." He tailed off and put the package down. "Well...perhaps I can explain."

"I'm a businessman," he started.

Naruto let out a snort of derision.

"But," continued Orochimaru giving Naruto a steely look. "I am also fighting for a greater good, a better future, one without unhappiness and misery. Each experiment I do is a step towards a better future for everyone."

"Better future?" said Naruto with a laugh. "Who wants a future strapped to operating tables?"

"That is simply the stepping stone towards the future." replied Orochimaru calmly. "I am developing a drug that will allow people to feel pure contentment and bliss...with no side effects. Imagine a world, Naruto-kun, where you are perfectly happy, _always_. Everyone will be perfectly happy."

Naruto stared at him. "That's not happiness. You want to make an illusion."

Orochimaru shrugged. "Illusion, reality. What's the difference as long as you believe it to be true?"

"And where are you in all this? Just doing it out of the goodness of your heart, are you?" sneered Naruto.

Orochimaru's face was a calm mask, the frozen features of a porcelain doll.

"I'm the one making people happy. I am also a businessman, so yes, I will make a profit if that's what you're really asking."

_I'll bet_, thought Naruto.

He glared at the man in front of him "I don't want any future that's built on dead bodies and torture."

Orochimaru just smiled and walked slowly towards him.

"All futures are built on those that have sacrificed in the past, Naruto-kun. This is no different."

Naruto shook his head. "No, people might have made sacrifices in the past, but it was to go against fucking psychopaths like you!"

Orochimaru began to walk around the blonde boy, circling like a shark.

"So what will you do, Naruto-kun? Go to the police? You can't do that. Shout it from the rooftops? Tell your friends? You realise no one will believe you. The word of an Uzumaki versus a respected teacher of one of the finest schools in Konoha. If by some miracle you succeed in exposing me, you'll be ruined, Naruto, sent to jail for assisting me. You really think a judge will go easy on you? With your background? The world despises you, Naruto Uzumaki. It despises your name. It despises your legacy. A simple word from me cost you your job. Imagine what else I could do..."

_His job?_ Naruto felt the cold realisation hit him. Orochimaru had told Atsushi who he was. He had planned all of this.

Orochimaru was near him now, within arms-length, and he spoke softly, his voice dripping poisonous words.

"I can afford the finest army of lawyers this city has ever seen. What can _you_ do, Naruto?"

Naruto set his mouth in defiance.

"You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone." Privately thinking that he'd rat out this man if it was the last thing he did.

"Ah, but you know too much now. I can't just let you leave the organisation."

"Funny. I don't remember signing up."

Orochimaru smiled. "You really are the perfect candidate. Strong, resiliant, street-smart... alone. I could reward you richly."

Naruto smiled back mockingly and raised his middle finger. "Two words. **Fuck. you**."

He turned away from the teacher and moved towards the door, but Orochimaru stepped in his way.

"I've watched you, you know, since you first came to this school. I'll be honest, you're hard not to notice with that golden hair, your sea-blue eyes." His eyes travelled over Naruto as he spoke and the teen felt an odd shiver creep up his spine.

"Of course it helps that you're loud-mouthed, dull-witted and have no family." Orochimaru smirked. "I knew as soon as I saw you that you could be useful, but I've noticed other people too, Naruto. I'm afraid you're not the only one who's caught my attention."

He gave Naruto a sidelong look. "Sasuke-kun is an orphan like you, is he not?"

The way Orochimaru asked the question, so innocently but with that hideous smile made Naruto's blood boil.

"You leave him the fuck out of this!"

The man's smile simply widened.

"Did I hit a nerve? Tsk tsk, always so crass, Naruto-kun. But yes, I will leave him out of this. After all I've already got someone who works for me, haven't I? As long as I have you, I won't need to bother with Sasuke. You understand me, don't you, Naruto? I know you _care_ about your friends."

He said the word 'care' as if it was disease, and moved towards Naruto until he was only a few inches away, his voice turning to a quiet hiss.

"You have no _idea_ the influence I have in this city. An orphan like Sasuke could go missing so easily, another helpless victim of the streets."

A sick feeling began to stir in Naruto's stomach. This man was _beyond_ evil. He was in another _dimension_ of evil! And Naruto needed find a way to stop him. He _had_ to. He had to warn Sasuke. But what if what he said was true? Could he just have Sasuke killed? No, Sasuke was too smart to let something like that happen. He'd fight. Besides even if nobody helped Naruto, someone would help Sasuke...wouldn't they? Naruto was torn by indecision. He needed to think, needed a moment to just _think _and understand what he should do. If he stayed, he'd be helping a crime lord do who-knows-what, but he knew enough when he'd seen the man in that house. Even if it was indirectly, could he really be a part of something like that? If he stopped, Sasuke and maybe his other friends would be in danger. Naruto screamed internally. _Ugh, I don't know what to do!_

Orochimaru meanwhile, was watching him carefully, watching every expression, every thought that passed over the boy's face like a shadow. Naruto suddenly noticed it. He needed get out of here. He'd figure out his options. He'd - he'd think of something, talk to _someone. _He just - he needed to think. He needed out of this classroom, away from Orochimaru. The stuffy air seemed to be weighing in on him, clouding his mind. He. needed. out. The yellow eyes were still watching him. He would say something to placate him for now. Then, then he could think.

"Fine, all right. I'll deliver your stupid package." he said finally.

He moved away from Orochimaru, feeling himself breathe easier the farther away he got. Picking up the package, the teen moved towards the door.

Orochimaru stood in his path.

"You seem in a hurry to get away, Naruto-kun." That stupid suffix on the end of his name grated on his nerves.

"Get out the way."

Orochimaru simply smiled his cold smile.

Naruto snapped, "I said I'd deliver your stuff! Make up your mind. You want me to do it or not?"

Orochimaru didn't move, didn't speak.

So, Naruto moved to one side walking quickly past the teacher, but as Naruto went past him, a pale, white hand stopped him, holding his shoulder.

"Let me go." muttered Naruto. He tried to shake off the hand, but it remained.

He turned to look at him. "I said I'd deliver your fucking drugs! What the fuck do you want from me?"

Orochimaru was looking at him with an expression he couldn't read. Did he know what Naruto was thinking? Did he know he might tell someone? How could he? Naruto didn't even know yet.

A slow, creeping feeling crawled up Naruto's back, and the sick feeling in his stomach became a suffocation, wrapping itself around his lungs and squeezing till he felt like he couldn't breathe. He didn't understand what was going on here, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

The grip on his shoulder tightened and Orochimaru began to reach out with his other hand. Naruto's survival instincts kicked in. He jerked himself away and he ran. Stretching out his hand, he was almost touching the door handle when -

Wham!

The bigger man slammed into him crushing him against the door. The handle dug painfully into his stomach, knocking out his breath. The next moment he felt himself yanked bodily from the door and was sent sailing into the desks. His head and shoulder crashed against the wooden corners as they fell back against his weight. He didn't get a chance to recover before a fist hit him hard in the face.

Orochimaru grabbed his collar and dragged him upright, landing another punch in his stomach. Naruto doubled over and sank to the ground with a groan. Never had he known a punch could hurt so much. It felt like a bag full of bricks had been swung into his stomach. Orochimaru was frighteningly strong.

_This is bad. This is bad. You have to get out! _His mind screamed at him. Surely, Orochimaru wouldn't kill him. He needed him, right? It didn't matter. Naruto's instincts had kicked in and the sick feeling that had swallowed him up kept screaming and screaming at him. _Get out! Get out! Get out!_

He looked up in time to see Orochimaru's foot flying towards him. Quickly he rolled back, but Orochimaru turned with his movement catching him a stinging blow to the head. He clutched his face with a cry. His nose exploded with pain, spreading like fire across his entire face. Before he had a moment to recover, he felt his hair being grabbed and pulled until the roots threatened to tear out. Naruto stood as quickly as he could, forced upright by the hand gripping his hair. He threw out a blind punch, blood getting into his vision, but Orochimaru caught his hand easily.

"Why are you doing this?" he yelled. "I'll deliver your stuff!"

Orochimaru didn't reply. He simply crushed Naruto's hand in his own and grabbed Naruto's throat with the other, forcing him backwards. Naruto could see him through a thin veil of blood, his calm smile had morphed into a hideous leer, his lips were parted slightly as he panted from exertion. Even as Naruto struggled to breathe, he forced his face into a mask of defiance, glaring at the teacher, the blood dripping down from his nose onto Orochimaru's shirt, giving him some small satisfaction and a shred of courage. _Fuck Orochimaru._ He could beat him as much as he wanted, could threaten his friends, could kill him if he had to. He stared defiantly into the gold-flecked eyes.

"I'm not afraid of y-." He choked out. His back hit the desk behind him.

The older man released his iron grip on Naruto's hand, but tightened his hold around the boy's neck so that Naruto gasped for air, scrabbling to free himself from the hand that held him. Then Orochimaru spoke calmly, quietly.

"My brave, little Naruto-kun." He leaned forward past Naruto's cheek, his lips tickling his ear. "You _should_ be afraid."

Then he did something, something unimaginable, something which made Naruto's entire body feel drenched in cold despite the heat in his face as it throbbed.

Orochimaru turned his head and slowly, leisurely, licked Naruto's cheek.

For the first time a spark of fear flickered in Naruto's eyes. He swung out to punch Orochimaru. His fist connected with the larger man's jaw, but he barely even flinched. Instead, he pulled back and his cold smile hardened.

He grabbed Naruto's arm and twisted until the boy let out a gurgle of pain, still struggling to breathe.

"What's wrong, Naruto." murmured Orochimaru silkily. "Not enjoying yourself?"

The next few moments were a blur. One moment Naruto was choking, the next he was flipped around and pushed head first onto the desk, his cheek pressing into the wooden surface. He gulped in air as Orochimaru took his hand away, but it was back before he could move, quickly pinning him by the back of his neck onto the desk. He scratched at the hand holding him. The teacher pressed his body weight up against his legs so that he couldn't move or kick out at him and Naruto could feel panic, pure panic begin to grip him as Orochimaru's hand began to snake around his waist, fumbling with his trousers.

"Wait." rasped Naruto, still trying to get the oxygen back into his lungs. He struggled, tried to move, tried to push himself off the desk, but Orochimaru didn't even seem to notice, holding him in a vice-like grip. His only response was to squeeze Naruto's throat so hard he was sure his neck would snap from the pressure.

Orochimaru grabbed at his belt, undoing the buckle and Naruto's trousers came loose around his waist, falling to the floor. Orochimaru lost no time in dragging down his boxers. He then paused for a moment, fiddling with his own fastenings.

Naruto tried to jerk his head up, hoping to catch him off guard, but the man didn't loosen his grip in the slightest. Instead, he grabbed Naruto's hair with his other hand and slammed his head onto the desk.

Stars exploded in front of Naruto's eyes and nausea crept into his stomach, threatening to overflow. Orochimaru lifted his head up and slammed it down a second time.

It had the desired effect. The boy went limp, blackness creeping into the edge of his vision and bright purple patches dancing in front of his eyes.

He knew what was going to happen, he could feel Orochimaru behind now, positioning himself, could feel..._him_.

If he let the darkness take him he wouldn't have to feel anything. However, even as he thought this, the blackness began to clear and pounding pain in his head set in. Meanwhile, Orochimaru began to move.

"Don't." choked Naruto, desperation edging his voice. He didn't want this. Not _this_. "Don't!"

Orochimaru stroked the boy's hair almost gently.

"Try to relax." he murmured. Then he twisted the locks of hair in his fist and pushed forward - hard.

Naruto screamed in agony, unable to contain himself. His fingernails dug into the desk.

Orochimaru pulled back only to push in again. Again Naruto screamed. The pain was unbearable, unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It felt like he was being torn apart from the inside. Unbidden tears of pain ran down his cheeks splashing onto the wood of the desk and mingling with the blood there, and Naruto pressed his face into the desk, screwing up his eyes and gritting his teeth as Orochimaru continued - over and over, faster and faster. And the agony shot throughout Naruto's entire body, engulfing his thoughts and making any moment outside of now become nonexistent. There was only pain. His entire world was pain, pain and the wooden desk he clung to, which bore all his weight, shifting slightly each time under the jerking movements. Time passed excruciatingly slowly.

Orochimaru's grunts echoed throughout the silent room, a sickening noise which lingered in Naruto's ears even as he tried to block it out, that and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Naruto wanted to be sick. He wanted to vomit until everything in him was gone. He wanted to disappear, to just stop existing so that he wouldn't have to feel this, any of this. And still, the time seemed to creep and the pain continued, and the man violating him quickened his pace all the while making those repulsive noises.

There was a print on the wall, a surreal Dali painting with strange, melting objects. It shimmered and distorted in Naruto's vision, but his eyes fixed on it intently, trying to think about the objects in the picture, trying to think about anything but where he was at this particular moment in time while he bit down on his lip so hard it began to bleed.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Orochimaru stopped. He shuddered, relaxing his grip though still holding Naruto's neck and hair. And Naruto felt...he didn't even want to think about the warm feeling within him, what it was, what it meant. He didn't move. He simply clung onto the desk. It was his world. His breathing was short and quick, but the tears of pain had mercifully stopped, leaving only mixed tracks on his grimy face.

Still, his eyes were on the painting, existing in there. He was jolted back with the sickening feeling of Orochimaru pulling out of him, but still he kept his eyes on that picture, regulating his breathing. _In, out. In, out._

He remained still as Orochimaru stood back, could hear the rustle of clothing as he adjusted himself, doing up his trousers. There was a momentary silence. Then that disgusting man moved in front of his vision, blocking his view of the picture. He was smiling, that cold, filthy smile.

"You can leave now, Naruto." He said. "Or would you like to go again?"

Naruto pushed himself up off the desk quickly, too quickly. Starts burst in his vision again and he collapsed on the floor with a cry. Orochimaru laughed, simply laughed.

"I'll take that as a no."

Naruto looked up, glaring at him with all the feelings of hate and loathing he could muster, but he said nothing, only gingerly pulling up his boxers, unable even to stand, and trying to ignore the blood and liquids he didn't even want to think about leaking down his thighs.

He had to get out. He had to get out of here as soon as possible. Away from Orochimaru's eyes.

The teacher crouched down next to him, and Naruto felt a stab of panic shoot through him. He tried to move back, but Orochimaru held his arm.

"Relax." he said, smiling still, and began pulling Naruto's trousers up his legs. Naruto stayed as still as he could, allowing the action. Orochimaru drew up his zip and then fixed up his top button, his spidery white fingers lingering for a moment. The boy held his breath.

"There now." said Orochimaru and reached out with one hand to touch Naruto's cheek. He jerked back quickly and yanked his arm from the older man's grip. Again, Orochimaru gave a quiet, amused laugh.

Naruto ignored him and painfully got to his feet. The teacher rose with him, standing, watching him as his eyes flicked towards the door. Could he go? Could he run? Could he make it in time, or would he be stopped?

In response to the question in his eyes, Orochimaru stepped aside.

"You are free to leave, Naruto-kun."

Was it a trick? A sadistic move to give him hope? Naruto didn't care. He would get to that door or die trying. He limped forward, keeping a wary eye on Orochimaru, but the man made no move to stop him, and Naruto reached the door safely.

"Oh, Naruto, just one thing."

Naruto froze, his hand on the door handle as his teacher walked up behind him. He was no longer smiling.

"If you tell anyone about myself, my organisation or what just happened here, I won't come after you. I'll go after _him_. Do we understand one another?"

Orochimaru touched Naruto's hair, twisting a strand gently and whispered, "If you think what happened here today was bad, just think of what I could do to him."

Naruto stared at the wooden door in front of him.

"Fuck you."

He turned the handle.

Orochimaru placed his hand on top of his, stopping him from opening the door. He grabbed Naruto's chin forcing him to turn his head to face him. His yellow slitted eyes burned into Naruto's.

"I said, 'Do we understand each other?'"

Naruto gritted his teeth and looked away, unable to match his stare. "Yes."

Orochimaru loosened his grip and let go of the door handle and the blonde boy yanked it open, exiting the room as quickly as possible.

Somehow, he made his way to the bathrooms, half-limping, half-stumbling against the wall, and reached the sink before he vomited, green bile from his empty stomach splashing into the basin. For a moment he just stood there on trembling legs. Naruto gripped the basin, shaking, for what seemed like an age. Some voice somewhere in the back of his head told him that if he sat down, he would pass out so he remained standing, his entire body aching from the inside and out.

Eventually, Naruto looked up at his reflection. There were purple and red splotches from where he'd been hit. They'd be turning into some impressive bruises soon, and there was a dried stream of blood from his nose which had spread in smears around his face, except for two clear tracks where his tears had run.

Silently, Naruto grabbed a paper towel and ran it under the water. He began to dab it on his face, washing off the blood, and hissed in pain as he moved the coarse paper over his cuts and bruises. He glared at himself in the mirror and began to scrub his face harder and harder, not stopping until all of the blood had disappeared and his skin was red and slightly raw. He stared at the grim face in his reflection.

"Smile, Uzumaki." he whispered. "Don't let them get you down."

With great effort, he lifted the corners of his mouth and smiled. It wasn't his normal toothy smile, but a smile nonetheless. His reflection smiled back. The smile looked slightly twisted with the swollen cheek and cut lip, and as Naruto stared at his reflection, the smile began to fade to be replaced by a stony, dead expression. Then the young boy leaned over the basin and vomited his remaining stomach contents into the sink. Sinking slowly to the cold, bathroom floor, Naruto allowed his suppressed sobs to well up and wrack his body. The only sound that could be heard in the hallway outside were the muffled cries of Uzumaki Naruto, the monster of Konoha.


	15. Victim of the Web

**AN: **So, lovely readers, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to update for a little while. I'm actually moving to Japan. Mwahaha. I had hoped to have finished this fic before then, but it took longer than I anticipated. I won't have internet at first and will need to set up my computer there (don't have a laptop), so it may be a few weeks. However, I will keep writing in the meantime, and don't worry, I'll be back if I can at all help it, and as soon as possible too (I'm addicted to internet), hopefully with lots of new chapters for you to devour. :)

Thanks to you all for the reviews and feedback this chapter, namely, _sans comic sans, saby a, lonelylulaby, Randomperson, Narutopokefan, sugardash, NarutoUno2 and Ascendead Master. _It's great to get feedback, and I appreciate every single comment. I'm sorry I made some of you cry. :(

randomperson - Is it normal? No clue. Is it common? Yes, strangely enough. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm odd in that I like angsty fics, yet it seems to be quite common. Only thing I don't like is when rape is portrayed as a positive thing, e.g. the victim falls in love with the rapist. That disturbs me no end.

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 14: Victim of the Web

_All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams. _  
>~Elias Canetti<p>

* * *

><p>It was dark when he finally got home. Naruto had had to walk slowly and rest often. He tried the door and felt a wave of relief wash over him to find it open. He limped in. Shunsuke was lying on the sofa, a can of beer in his hand and the TV blaring. He glanced up momentarily when Naruto stepped in, took in his cuts and bruised face. The man returned his gaze to the screen without a word.<p>

Naruto for his part, said nothing, and walked as normally as he could to his room, closing the door quietly behind him. The black spots in his vision that Naruto had been fighting against on the walk home finally took over, and he collapsed gratefully onto his bed, allowing the darkness to take him.

When Naruto woke, he opened his eyes to pitch black. A moment of panic gripped him before he remembered where he was.

His eyes adjusted to the gloom, and he began to make out shapes. He looked at his clock which glowed slightly in the dark.

3.15 a.m.

Tentatively, the boy sat up. His body screamed in protest, fiery pain shooting through him, and his head felt heavy, swollen and foggy, throbbing every time he moved it. He forced himself to stand all the same, his legs threatening to give out beneath him. Quickly, he leaned against the wall and turned on the light. Pushed by desperation, Naruto went over to his cabinet and pulled out a towel. Then he made his way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Misty steam quickly filled up the small room, and Naruto slowly, carefully peeled off his clothes. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror before it misted over. His face had turned purple and blue, his nose and cheek were swollen, and there was a small cut on his burst lip. His back and body itself were covered in small bruises from where he'd hit the desks and the floor, and a large flowering bruise had appeared on his stomach, almost the same size as his tattoo. He touched it gently, tracing the pattern. It hurt even to breathe. Now he knew why.

The mist in the mirror finally took over, making his reflection an indistinct blur, so Naruto turned towards the shower, steeling himself as he stepped into its heat. The water stung as it hit his back and face, but Naruto gritted his teeth and washed himself as thoroughly as he could all over, scrubbing especially at his thighs, but unable to go much higher as the pain increased. After a while, weakness overtook Naruto and he lowered himself gingerly to a sitting position, manouevring himself so that the weight was taken on his hip rather than his backside. It felt strangely good to have the water hitting his bruised back and running down his face now. He leaned his head against the white shower wall.

He felt empty, exhausted. The emotions he'd always been able to pull out so easily, so naturally before, now felt like a colossal effort. A fire he'd never even been aware existed within him...was gone and it felt, well it didn't _feel _anything. It just felt nothing.

Naruto wasn't sure how long he sat in the shower, just staring at the wall. In a way, he didn't want to leave that moment. It was suspended in time. No feeling, no good, but no bad. Moving meant...moving meant_ thinking_, and if he thought, he would think about _that_. He got up, pain immediately shooting through him. He felt like an old man, frail, hardly able to move or stand. However, he managed to turn the shower off and just stood for a moment. His mind seemed to be slow, foggy like it was running out of sync with present time. It took a few seconds for him to remember that he was standing shivering, but eventually he stepped out onto the cold bathroom floor and wrapped his towel around him like a shawl. It felt comforting to have something wrapping its warmth around him.

When Naruto got back to his room holding an armful of clothes, he dumped them in the corner in the plastic bag he used as his laundry basket and pulled on a fresh pair of boxers.

As he struggled to put them on without causing too much agony, he knew he wouldn't be going to school in the morning. Ibiki would probably get annoyed. If the school called, would Shunsuke even cover for him? Would he be expelled?

It wasn't like he was skiving, but if the principal saw his face as messed up as this he'd assume he'd been in a fight and then he'd be in trouble. That and...Naruto couldn't face Sakura and Ino's inevitable questions and derision, or even worse their concern. Then there was Sasuke's penetrating stare. It always seemed to see right through him, and Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to handle that. But, most of all, he could not go back into that classroom. How would he be able to sit there in front of _that man_ and pretend like everything was ok?

No, he needed to get his act together, formulate a plan. But what? Every time he thought about it his thoughts went around in circles. He could fight back, but how and what if he failed? Then Sasuke gets hurt. He could run (not that he would) but again, Sasuke would be Orochimaru's next target. He could tell someone, but like the yellow-eyed man said, who would believe him? And if they did, would they help? No one would care about the wellbeing of Uzumaki Naruto. No one ever had. The only thing he could rely on was his strength. Yes, his strength. If only he didn't feel so weak, his mind so tired, his thoughts so foggy. He could think about it tomorrow when it didn't make him want to claw off his own skin.

Finally, gratefully, Naruto sank into bed, surrounding himself with the covers. But, in what was possibly the cruelest cherry on a very sadistic cake, as Naruto lay there, he could not for the life of him fall asleep. His thoughts continued to plague him. His face and body throbbed, and he tossed and turned, each movement bringing sharp pains, while staying still just made everything ache dully.

So Naruto had to lie there for hours in the darkness with Orochimaru's face flashing before his eyes, the sensation of his fingers on his skin, the grip on his neck and the feel of the wooden desk pressing into his cheek. His mind forcing him to relive it over and over and over, too weak and foggy to allow him to dwell on anything else, while every second of that moment was branded into his brain. Other thoughts evaporated like smoke every time he tried to clutch at them, each time pushed aside by Orochimaru's calm, calculating smile and those hungry golden eyes.

The sun shone weakly through the window that morning onto a tired, bruised face. Naruto's eyes were open, just staring at the white wall next to him. He hadn't gotten any real sleep, only snatches of fevered dreams which had rapidly turned to nightmares, always ending in spasms of pain to which Naruto would wake up and find himself on his back or stomach, or his swollen cheek pressing into the pillow. It didn't seem to matter which way he turned. There was always pain.

Dark circles had formed under the blonde boy's eyes, his usually tan skin had become pale and sickly. Slowly Naruto turned onto his side and reached out, scratching tiny gray marks on the white wall paint with his fingernail. It was so silent. No noises in the apartments surrounding, no sound of cars on the roads far below, no stirring from Shunsuke. Not that Shunsuke would rise in the morning. He'd probably stumble out of bed bleary-eyed in the late afternoon for his usual beer breakfast.

Naruto turned his head to look at his frog clock. 5am. The eyes on the top stared back at him vacantly. His parent's photos sat next to it. They were smiling.

For the first time in his life, Naruto felt angry as he looked at those still, picture-perfect faces smiling at him so free of worry.

He sat up, ignoring the pangs of pain the action elicited.

"This is your fault." he said quietly to the photograph. "You gave me this name. If you haven't done what you did I-"

He clenched his covers tightly, screwing up his eyes as tears spilled out. "Why did you betray everyone? Why did you leave me here and have to give me this name?"

He wiped his eyes and stared at them angrily. "You should have let me die."

His parents smiled back at him.

Hate surged through him.

"All of this, my whole life has been your fucking fault!"

Naruto picked up the frame from the nightstand and threw it with all his strength against the wall at the far end of the room. It shattered, shards of glass scattering over the carpet as it landed face down, the frame still intact.

Naruto lay back down, the effort had already exhausted him. Somehow he didn't feel any better, so he tried to get into a semi-comfortable position and passed the day in the same way he'd passed the night, with snatches of sleep, but true unconsciousness still eluding him.

Shunsuke left him alone, and Naruto had no idea what would happen with school, but at this point he was past caring. He didn't even get up for food, couldn't bring himself to eat. It hurt too much to move anyway, and eating would definitely hurt his face and stomach.

So, Naruto remained where he was, escaping into fitful dozes.

Naruto woke again to the dark. He wasn't sure of the time, but the sun had just set leaving a dark blue sky where the light hadn't quite given into night.

_What had woken him up anyway?_

He'd been dreaming which meant he'd been at least half-asleep. Naruto listened. There were muffled voices.

_Looks like Shunsuke is up._

Judging by the two voices he'd brought someone home. Naruto hoped it wasn't another tittering Bar Skank. But no, the voices both sounded male. Who was here?

Naruto's wondering questions were answered when his bedroom door swung open.

It was the last person in the world he wanted to see and all the feelings of nausea came back full force like a tidal wave.

Orochimaru stood in the doorway framed by the light flooding in from the living room.

"Naruto." he said with a smile.

The boy sat up quickly. His vision filled with purple spots and he remained still for a moment, letting his head clear. When he looked up it was to find Orochimaru in front of him. The man sank down onto his bed looking sickeningly concerned.

"How is my favourite errand boy?"

Naruto took a moment to steady his voice before he spoke. When he did it came out slightly raspy.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

_Fuck. _His throat must've been destroyed yesterday.

"Tsk, tsk. That's no way to greet your teacher, Naruto-kun. I came to check on the well-being of my student."

The door was still open. _Where was Shunsuke?_

"I brought you something to help." said Orochimaru bringing Naruto's attention back to him.

He pulled out a small white container with a screw-on lid. It rattled slightly_. Pills._

"I didn't mean to be so rough on you yesterday, Naruto." _Yeah, right. _"But don't worry, I covered for you at school and informed them you were unwell."

Naruto said nothing, his eyes on the white plastic jar.

Orochimaru held it towards him.

"This will help with the pain. It will also help you sleep. Don't worry. They're very safe. No side effects."

Narut didn't move to accept them. He looked away stonily at the wall.

"I don't want your fucking drugs."

He refused to look at Orochimaru's face, but when the man spoke, he sounded amused.

"Very well. I'll just put them here, shall I?"

Naruto heard the rattle as he placed them on his bedside table.

There was silence for a moment. _Please, just __**go, **_pleaded Naruto inwardly, and his prayers seemed to be answered when the man stood.

"What's this?" he asked.

Naruto looked up. Orochimaru was walking towards the other side of the room towards the window. He picked up the photo frame and raised his eyebrows. Naruto's face immediately began to burn with shame and anger. Shame that his spite towards his parents was so clearly exposed, and anger that this filthy man was touching their photograph, his most precious possession.

He gripped the covers of his bed tightly as Orochimaru stroked the photo with a long finger. He looked up at the blonde boy sitting in the bed, emotions swimming on the surface of his young face.

"Now, Naruto." he said, mirth tinging his silky voice. "You should know better than to disrespect the dead. Still," He put the frame on the window sill, his parent's faces looking at Naruto's bed.

"In this case, I don't really blame you." He smiled. "Parents can be foolish, can't they?"

Orochimaru walked over to Naruto's bed and leaned forward, touching his leg lightly.

"Get well, soon, Naruto-kun." he said softly, and left, closing the door behind him. The room was drenched in darkness once again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I'm cruel to leave you with this, but I will update as soon as I possibly can once I'm settled and have internet. :) See you on the other side.


	16. Mind Cage

**AN: **You've all been so patient. Sorry to keep you waiting for so long. I am now settled. I probably won't be able to update as often since I'm a lot busier now so less time to write, but I'll try to as much as possible. I officially have internet though! :D

Thanks to _sugardash_, _midnight-camillia, saby_ and _Ihavetoomanyships_ for your returning reviews/comments! I'm afraid I won't give the end away, saby. ;)

Thanks to _Shining-Dreamer_ and _Asa Usa_ for your first reviews/comments! :D

Shining-Dreamer: Don't worry about not reviewing earlier. Thanks for doing it now! :) I didn't actually realise people had subscribed until you said that. I haven't checked my email linked to this account since I started writing, so after I read your review I checked my email account and found over 200 emails for subscriptions, favourites and story alerts!

** So, thank you so much everyone who has subscribed, favourited and added me to your story alerts. I HAD NO IDEA! xD**

Ascendead Master: I meant to reply before. I know some people don't like it when the main gets into bad situations, but I'm afraid it will be pretty bad for him, hence the warnings for this fanfiction. I hope you won't dislike it too much, but no worries if you do. :)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 15: Mind Cage

_We have rudiments of reverence for the human body, but we consider as nothing the rape of the human mind. _

~Eric Hoffer

* * *

><p>Naruto felt his hands shaking. His whole body began to shake.<p>

He'd come to where he lived! He'd come into his _home_, his _room_! He'd sat on his _bed._

Naruto felt the bile rise to his throat, but he managed to keep it down. He had felt relatively safe here. The message was clear now. He wasn't safe anywhere. And worst of all, he couldn't run away.

Naruto took deep breaths. He needed to get up, he needed to move, to shake off this feeling, had to do..._something_!

He waited, sitting upright in the bed, listening until he was sure that man had gone. Everything was silent in the apartment again, so Naruto got up gingerly and hobbled into the kitchen. He needed to eat something. His stomach was doing flip-flops and all he wanted to do was be sick, but he would force himself to eat. Anything to think about something other than _him_.

He switched on the kettle and went back to his room grabbing a pot of instant ramen from his stash. The kettle started to grumble slowly, matching Naruto's unhappy stomach. It flicked off automatically and he poured the steaming hot water in the ramen cup. The noodles floated up on the water, delicious aromas drifting up towards him, and suddenly Naruto felt ravenous. The smell had opened the floodgates on his hunger.

He waited impatiently as the ramen dissolved and stirred it quickly. A moment later he was shovelling it in his mouth and gasping in short breaths as he tried to cool the hot ramen burning his tongue.

He spent a few minutes rapidly devouring the delicious food and then went back to his room for another pot. As he was pouring the water into a second cup, Shunsuke's door opened. He had his jacket on ready to go out, but he stopped before he reached the door and looked back at Naruto uncertainly. The boy ignored him, stirring his second pot of ramen. Shunsuke cleared his throat.

"I'm going out. Won't be back till late."

Naruto looked up in surprise. Since when did Shunsuke bother to let him know what he was doing?

"Ok." he replied and turned back to his ramen, but Shunsuke just stood there. He seemed to be fighting with himself. Finally, he spoke again.

"Look, I don't know what happened or what you did to piss Orochimaru off, but you should know he's got a lot of power in this city. You should be careful. Don't take him on. If he wants you to deliver drugs, you should do it. It's not a big deal."

Naruto didn't know what to say to this. Part of him wanted to kick his fucking head in for being the one who got him into this situation in the first place, the rest of him was too shocked that he'd even vaguely resembled some concern for Naruto albeit only to protect his own ass. A small part of him also felt slightly relieved that Shunsuke didn't know what had happened. Somehow that would've felt worse.

Shunsuke left the apartment and Naruto relaxed slightly, unaware that he had been tense. So, he had the apartment to himself for the night. That felt good. He sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. He hadn't been able to do this before without fear of Shunsuke walking in at any moment and yelling at him. Now he could properly relax, the crappy sitcom with the canned laughter was the perfect medicine for getting his mind off things, and he allowed himself to zone out for the rest of the night.

The next few days were spent in a similar vein. The young teen would sleep restlessly during the day and watch TV during the nights when Shunsuke went out. He didn't bring any more bar skanks home that week.

The bruise on Naruto's stomach slowly turned to green and yellow blotches and the pain finally faded from his back and insides, allowing him to move normally again, and not think about it every moment of the day.

He was still an insomniac though, unable to get more than a couple of house sleep at a time before he was woken by nightmares in a cold sweat, only to remember the reality of them. Big dark circles formed under his eyes and whenever he got up, he was exhausted.

Each day he kept putting off the inevitable return to school, and every day he thought of a reason not to until over a week had passed, and he knew that eventually he would have to return. Naruto cursed for the first time his fast healing ability wishing the bruises had stayed longer so he'd have a reason not to show up, but deep down, he knew, he _knew_ if he kept being absent, not only would he be expelled regardless of his excuse, but _that man_ might come back here. Someone else had delivered Shunsuke's supply that week and had asked after Naruto. Naruto had heard it from his room. Orochimaru was checking up on him. That thought, more than anything, spurred him to get ready that Monday morning.

Like a man preparing for the executioner, Naruto got dressed. He readied himself when he arrived at the school gates. He could pretend everything was ok. He had to. What had happened - it was just a moment in time. It didn't need to change everything, and even though the thought of working for Orochimaru, furthering his cause, felt like a leaden weight on his heart, the parts in between could feel normal. The parts with his friends could be his real life.

_Friends._ They were a double-edged sword now. Naruto had dreamt of having them his whole life. Now, they were a liability. Still, if he could do it over again, he wouldn't give them up. That thought strengthened him, and he plastered a grin on his face when he saw Kiba waving at him from across the courtyard.

"How ya doin', man? Heard you were sick as a dog." Kiba punched him lightly on the arm.

"Good coming from you, dogbreath. Eh, I had a stupid stomach bug, was barfing up everywhere."

"Haha! Nice. Bet you enjoyed that."

Naruto rolled his eyes at Kiba. "Yeah, thanks for the concern."

"Anytime." said Kiba with a grin.

They walked to their lockers. Kiba filled him in on what had been going on while he was away.

"Yeah, Shikamaru was made hall monitor this month, can you believe? He's so annoyed about it, well, as annoyed as Shikamaru gets when he can be bothered."

Naruto laughed. "The teachers realise he's not going to do anything though, right? We'll be running riot."

"I know." grinned Kiba, licking his lips in mock anticipation. "I can't wait."

He shoved his stuff in his locker and then walked over to Naruto, leaning against the wall.

_The wall where me and Sasuke kissed. _

That felt so long ago now.

Naruto turned quickly, grabbing his books out of his bag. Kiba didn't notice the action, still thinking of more juicy gossip.

"What else has happened? Oh yeah. Sakura asked Sasuke out for like the millionth time, and got rejected. Again."

Naruto looked up. "She asked him out?"

He frowned.

"Hey, man." said Kiba, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know you like her. Don't take it so seriously. It's happened like every semester since kindergarten."

The thing was, he didn't feel bad. He realised with surprise that he hadn't thought about her once in the week he'd been away. Sure, he'd had a lot on his mind, but nothing? Was that a good thing? He wasn't sure. Naruto was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of the locker door next to him being pulled open.

Sasuke stood next to him, putting his bag inside.

"Where have you been?" he said, not looking at him.

"I've been puking my guts out. And yourself?"

Sasuke turned to him, holding his books and gave him an appraising look.

"You look like shit."

Kiba grabbed Naruto by the shoulders, holding him in front of Sasuke like a show dog. "Aw, Sasuke, not even a 'How are you?' That's cold."

Sasuke's response was to grunt.

"Nice to see you too, bastard." grinned Naruto.

Things almost felt...normal.

Lunch was the usual affair. Nobody asked too many questions, something for which he was grateful. The girls lost interest as soon as he mentioned vomiting and thankfully nobody mentioned a small scar on his lip which still lingered. It was barely visible after all, although he felt Shikamaru's eyes flick to it momentarily. If he wondered about it, he didn't say anything.

After break was the moment Naruto had been dreading. He'd managed to put any worries to one side while with his friends. They helped distract him, but now he was going _there_. There was no escaping his thoughts. Could he fake nonchalance? How would Orochimaru act? He wouldn't make anything obvious of course. The guy wanted his job and wouldn't reveal himself, yet Naruto couldn't stop the sick worry gnawing at his insides. He would feel..._exposed_. It was the only word that could describe it.

"You ok, man? You don't look too well."

The others had all peeled off to their respective classes, and Naruto was left walking down the hall with Kiba and Sasuke.

"I'm fine."

"You sure you're over that stomach flu?"

Kiba was examining his face, and Naruto looked away quickly.

"Yeah, really, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, I guess."

"Ok. If you say so."

He walked ahead of Naruto into the classroom. The blonde boy hesitated a moment before going in. Bile was rising in his throat and he fought to keep it down. At least if he puked, it would back his stomach bug story.

Sasuke was waiting at the door for him, looking at him curiously.

"You coming?"

"Yeah, sorry."

Naruto walked in quickly past the dark-haired boy, and went to his assigned seat at the front. Why did he have to be at the front? It was twisted.

Sasuke sat down at the desk next to him, and pulled out his books.

Orochimaru wasn't here yet. Naruto's eyes shifted around the room. The Dali print still hung on the wall. It didn't sway in front of his eyes now though. It looked cold somehow, immaterial.

Naruto looked quickly away, turning his attention to Sasuke. He wasn't alone in this class. Thank goodness he wasn't alone in this class. Sasuke was here. If he could just be near him, it was an anchor.

Then his heart jolted. On Sasuke's desk..._there were scratch marks._

Naruto almost let out a cry when he saw them. _Sasuke was sitting at the desk where he-!_

The blonde teen was sure he was going to be sick now. He clutched his stomach, his eyes and mouth began to water.

"Oi, Naruto. You all right?"

Sasuke was looking at him, his expressionless eyes showing...was it concern? Hard to tell.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I just...it must've been that lunch. My stomach is playing up."

Naruto took a few deep breaths, trying not to look at the desk. Sasuke shouldn't touch it, shouldn't be sitting at it, not knowing. It shouldn't be in this classroom. It was wrong. It should be burned.

"You wanna run to the bathroom?"

He looked at Sasuke. Should he? Could he? He could spend the entire period in the bathroom, wait till chemistry was over. He looked at the door. He just had to get up and-

The door, however, opened, and a familiar figure entered the classroom. His long, dark hair was loose around his shoulders, and when he spotted Naruto he smiled.

"Naruto-kun, nice to see you back. I hope that you are feeling better?"

Naruto pressed his nails into his thighs under the desk.

"Still a bit sick."

"I'm sorry to hear it. Let me know if you need anything during class."

The way the man said it, it would have sounded innocent to anyone else. To Naruto, it sounded ..._wrong_, and he dug his nails further into his legs as the lesson began.


	17. Behind Closed Doors

**AN:** Some messed-up chapters ahead, just a warning to you all.

Thanks to _Ascendead Master, Shining-Dreamer, Randomperson, saby a, sugardash, NarutoUno2 and ImNotCrazy_ for your returning reviews/comments! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying it and your encouragement motivates me so much. And thanks to _Ichigo Kisses_ for your first one! :D I can't give anything away at present with regards to this story, so I can't say if there will be another soccer game, but suffice to say there's still a lot of places for this story to go. ;) Ahhh, I wish I could tell you all what's gonna happen! But I won't 'cos that'd be evil.

saby a: I know what you mean about him being more self-preserving...poor Naruto, but then hey, he wouldn't be the Naruto we all know and love!

Shining-Dreamer: I love that you call him Oro-freak. Such a great name, lol. xD

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 16: Behind Closed Doors

_He who angers you conquers you._

~Elizabeth Kenny_  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Today we shall be continuing with our study of acids and bases, a little lab work." said Orochimaru standing behind his desk and surveying his students. "Come to the front for your protective gear and I recommend that you be careful with these chemicals as they can result in some <em>very<em> nasty burns."

Sasuke got up. The rest of the class followed, their chairs scraping as they stood and formed a makeshift queue for their gear and wandered off to their respective desks.

Only Naruto lingered at his desk not wanting to approach the front. He began to stand slowly, could see Orochimaru glancing at him.

"Hey," Sasuke stood in front of him. "I got yours." he said, throwing a pair of goggles and gloves at him."

Relief washed over Naruto. He'd never been more grateful to Sasuke than he was right now. He would never call the guy an asshole again...probably.

"Thank you." he said with a huge grin and quickly put them on, "Hey, uh, Sasuke, you know, about last week...I know you're not just an asshole."

_Wow, great apology, Uzumaki_, said his brain.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."

"No, that's not what I meant. I-"

"I know what you meant, Naruto. Don't worry about it. Just see if you can show me you're not just an idiot." said Sasuke, and he seated himself at his desk, putting on his own protective gear.

Naruto felt a happy warm feeling in his gut. "Pff, whatever."

Orochimaru addressed the class again and Naruto held his breath as he felt the teacher's gaze pass over him.

"I want you all to identify the acid and the base respectively, as well as their pH levels. I assume you have all done your homework and know the methods. Please fill in the sheets provided with the information you find. You can refer to your books to help you if needs be. You'll need to be careful since these are not your usual household acids and bases, but much stronger. And yes," he continued answering the unasked question in the student's eyes. "This _will_ count towards your final grade."

The class groaned collectively, but within minutes they were heads down, following the instruction sheets in front of them.

Naruto looked down at his own sheet.

_Step 1. Identify the acid using the phenolphthalein._

_Step 2. Measure the pH of the acid._

He stared at it unseeing. Everything he had learned in this class seemed to have spilled out of his mind like sand through an hourglass. He pulled his Chemistry book out of his bag and sifted through it. Identifying acids...identifying acids...

The chapter on acids appeared between the pages as a beautiful godsend. He scanned down the page finally finding a relevant passage.

_Phenolphthalein is used to identify acids and bases._

Naruto stared at the sentence then at his desk. A jar labelled phenolphthalein sat there mocking him. What the hell was he supposed to do with it? His mind was foggy as he stared at the jar and then at the little black letters that swam on the pages of the book.

_So...pouring this into this, _he thought. _But how much and which one pours into which?_

Naruto looked out the corner of his eye to view Sasuke's progress. He moved swiftly and confidently, mixing the beakers and pouring liquids together as they changed colour smoothly.

_So...the yellow one was the base, right?_

"I'll ask you to keep your eyes on your own work, Naruto."

The boy's breath hitched. Orochimaru was standing next to him. Naruto chanced a glance around the room. Everyone was concentrating on their work, cautiously mixing the chemicals.

"There is a time limit, Naruto. You may want to start sometime today." said Orochimaru quietly, evidently enjoying Naruto's discomfort.

Naruto swallowed and his hand shook as he picked up a vial. Was this the acid or the base? His mind had stalled.

_First step, first step is to uh...pour...something._

He picked up the phenolphthalein and began to pour very slowly. His hands were trembling. He couldn't steady them and hated his body for responding this way. Then he felt a hand brush his lower back. He jumped and watched the vial slip from his hand. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. He tried to catch the vial, but only succeeded in spilling the acid. The chemical spilled towards him as he tried to right the beaker. Orochimaru moved back quickly, but Naruto sitting in his seat wasn't quick enough. He yelled and scraped back his chair as some of the liquid dripped onto his leg.

Fuck, it hurt. It felt like his skin was burning off. He tried to wipe at it with the gloves, but Orochimaru held his arm.

"Don't touch it." he said and quickly grabbed a bottle of water from his desk. The teacher poured the water over the wound, effectively diluting and washing away the acid, but also soaking Naruto's pants. Naruto reddened. It looked like he'd wet himself.

"We need to get you to the nurse." said Orochimaru calmly.

This made Naruto jerk his head up, ignoring the pain. "No." he said quickly.

"I'll take him." said Sasuke.

Naruto turned to look at him, but he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

"No," said Orochimaru. "I want you to move everyone out of this classroom and find the janitor. These chemicals need to be cleared up straight away." He turned to address the class. "And I don't want a single person touching this mess while I'm gone. "You have a free period now thanks to Uzumaki here," The students cheered.

"But," continued Orochimaru, "I expect you to make up this class in another of your free periods."

The happy cries immediately turned to moans and grumbles.

"Thanks a lot, Uzumaki." muttered a voice amongst them.

"Can you walk?" asked Orochimaru turning to look at Naruto. The fake concern made the boy want to scream, but he just nodded silently and picked up his backpack, following Orochimaru out of the classroom, head down.

The teacher waited for him outside the classroom and put a hand on his back, guiding him lightly down the empty halls. Naruto didn't say a word, but Orochimaru broke the silence as they walked.

"Is it painful?"

He said the words as if pain was something delectable to be relished. Naruto didn't reply nor look at him. The light touch on his back made his skin feel like it was burning to match the acid burn on his leg, and he limped ahead quickly, trying to pull away from the touch and put some distance between them, but Orochimaru kept step easily, all the while, the hand on the boy's back lingering.

The teacher knocked on the door upon reaching the nurse's office and a pretty woman with shoulder-length brown hair opened it to greet them, a pleasant smile lighting her features. Her expression immediately turned to concern upon seeing Naruto's pale face.

"Come in. What's happened?"

Orochimaru smiled at her as they stepped inside, his demeanor switching immediately. "Well, I'm afraid we had a little bit of an incident with a clumsy student. Naruto here managed to upset some chemicals and gave himself quite a burn." he said, motioning to the blonde teen. Naruto didn't look up, staring stonily ahead past the nurse. It was so white in her office. There was a small desk where he presumed she did her paperwork, and through the door leading into another room, Naruto could see a white hospital-style bed surrounded by curtains. The small office and infirmary room were visible to each other through two large panel windows. The nurse led them through to the infirmary room and Naruto manoeuvred himself gingerly to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Let me see," said the nurse, her voice was soothing and gentle. "Chemical burns may be better treated at hospital. What was it?" she looked up at Naruto.

"He spilled an acid." said Orochimaru, answering for him. "He won't need to go to hospital. I know how to treat chemical burns."

The nurse looked doubtful. She picked up a pair of tweezers, gently nudging aside some of the dissolved material of Naruto's trousers.

"It's not deep, but it looks like it has burnt a considerable area of skin. I think that..."

"Akino," interrupted Orochimaru smoothly. "While I understand your concern, I am more than capable of treating a small chemical burn."

"Oh, of course," she said quickly. "I wasn't imply that you couldn't trea-"

"And as excellent a nurse as you are, I think your pretty face may be making our Naruto just a bit self-conscious. Perhaps it would be better if I handle this."

"No, it's fine." said Naruto quickly. "I don't mind if she treats me."

"See that, Akino? You already have him falling for you." said Orochimaru. His tone was light and warm. Naruto couldn't believe his acting skills, and the nurse was falling for it hook, line and sinker. She blushed and moved her hand from the burn on Naruto's thigh.

"I'm sure that's not true, but I see your point. It would be inappropriate for me to attend to this. I'll leave him in your capable hands, Mr. Orochimaru. I'll be at my desk if you need anything."

"Thank you, Akino. I'll just draw the curtains to give Naruto some privacy." He pulled the green cotton material together and Naruto could see the nurse's silhouette gradually fade as she walked out of the infirmary room and into her little office, closing the door with a soft click.

Naruto swallowed, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the curtains. He could hear the clink of metal as Orochimaru picked up the pair of tweezers Akiko had been holding only a moment before.

He pulled up a stool next to the blonde teen. Naruto could feel his heart rate quicken and he tried to steady his breathing as Orochimaru leaned over his leg. The green curtains swayed slightly from a breeze that wafted through a nearby window.

The man smirked. "Do I make you nervous, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto swallowed before replying, "No, you fucking make me sick."

Orochimaru smiled. "If you didn't want to be in this position you shouldn't have spilt dangerous chemicals. It was a simple enough experiment, one even a half-wit like you should've been capable of."

As he talked, Orochimaru was carefully tweezing off patches of the black pants material that had fused to Naruto's burnt skin. The teen gritted his teeth as each part was pulled off. It was like a series of very small band-aids being ripped off tender skin. When Orochimaru had finally gotten every piece off and placed them in a small metal dish, the teacher stopped his ministrations and looked up.

"All done. I just need to clean the wound."

Naruto didn't move.

"Take off your pants, Naruto."

"Fuck you." he replied evenly, not sparing a glance for the man, his stare set firmly straight ahead.

Orochimaru placed his hand over the burn and squeezed hard. Naruto gasped in pain, automatically grabbing at Orochimaru's hand and trying to pry it away, but the man only tightened his grip.

"Very well then," said Orochimaru. "You can get up and leave, and let the wound fester, get infected and spread rot through your flesh. Believe me, Naruto, I could very easily make it so that this burn never gets better. So what's it going to be?"

He removed his hand. Naruto was breathing heavily, and he didn't move immediately. He seriously contemplated leaving. Was it worth risking the infection? And what did Orochimaru mean by making sure the burn would never heal? Narutor felt like a coward as he realised he didn't want to find out. He stood reluctantly and pulled his pants down to his knees, but no further, and quickly sat back down on the bed again, keeping his legs locked together and hitching the pants up slightly further in an effort to conceal as much of himself from the older man as possible. It wasn't like he could attack him here, right? The nurse was just in the other room.

Orochimaru didn't comment on Naruto's actions, simply placing a cold hand on the hot skin which was radiating out in a red circle around the burn. The actual burn was bright red and leaking blood as well as a clear pus-like liquid.

Orochimaru swivelled around on the stool and picked up a small bottled standing on the counter next to the bed. He poured some transparent, watery liquid onto a white cloth and turned back to Naruto.

"This will sting." He said, and placed the cloth on Naruto's burn. _Alcohol_. It stung like hell, but Naruto made no noise, only inhaling sharply as it was applied. Orochimaru began to wipe carefully at the burnt flesh and Naruto kept his eyes straight ahead, unable to bring himself to look at the man's face.

_The nurse is just beyond that curtain and through a window,_ he told himself. He could imagine her typing away on the computer at her desk, tapping her fingers on the keys.

He was suddenly brought back to reality when he realised Orochimaru had stopped cleaning the wound. The man's other hand was still placed on his thigh and he had that calm, unreadable expression on his face, an expression Naruto had seen before. He swallowed. Now he knew what that was.

"I think we're done." he said quickly, moving to slide off the bed, but Orochimaru held his arm firmly. Naruto held his breath and stayed very still as Orochimaru traced the tender area around the burn with a pale finger. Naruto began to feel lightheaded as his hand began to move higher and higher, coming to play with the hem of Naruto's boxers. His head was buzzing and alarm bells were ringing through the sluggish fog of his mind, screaming at him to react, to do something.

"Get the fuck off." he said finally, before shoving Orochimaru back.

The man almost fell off the stool, and Naruto quickly took the opportunity to slide off the bed.

His voice was quiet and deadly as he glared at the man. "Don't you fucking touch me."

His pants had slid down to his ankles as he stood and he bent down briefly to pull them up. Within that split second Orochimaru was on him, pushing him back onto the bed, in a sprawling-sitting position. Forced back onto his elbows, he tried to regain some balance as he was pushed back. It all happened so quickly, Naruto didn't even get the chance to cry out in surprise, and Orochimaru was looming over him. Then he picked up the white cloth he had been using before to clean Naruto's wound and brought his hand down hard on the burnt area, grinding the material into the broken flesh. Naruto let out a loud cry of pain, trying to pull his leg out from under Orochimaru's hand, but he was unable to do much save squirm, unable to sit up properly with Orochimaru's arm held across his chest. He tried to wriggle backwards on the bed, but Orochimaru just ground the cloth harder into the wound.

"I don't think you fully understand your position yet, Naruto-kun." hissed the man, the false smile had dropped, giving way to an ugly sneer. "I speak, you obey. You do whatever I tell you to, or I move onto Sasuke. Do we understand one another?"

Naruto gave another cry as the teacher twisted the cloth violently into the broken flesh. There was the sound of a door opening and then the click of a pair of heels. They both froze. The nurse's silhouette appeared behind the curtain.

"Is everything all right, Mr. Orochimaru? I heard a shout."

Orochimaru straightened up, giving Naruto the chance to pull himself up into a full sitting position. The man smirked and continued to grind the cloth slowly into Naruto's burn. The boy gripped the white sheets on the bed so hard his knuckles turned white to match and he bit his lip, trying to keep his cries silent.

"It's fine, thank you, Akino." said Orochimaru calmly. Naruto was just taken by surprise by the alcohol. I'm cleaning the wound. We're almost done."

"Ok. Let me know if you need anything." came the pleasant reply and again the heels clicked away into the other room.

Meanwhile Naruto's head was pulsing. He hadn't heard a word of the exchange, too busy trying to cope with the pain as the cloth was twisted slowly into his wound. His head felt light and he was sure he was going to faint. As the door to the nurse's office shut again, Orochimaru removed his hand and smiled at Naruto.

"Now where were we?"

Naruto's throat felt thick and he didn't trust his voice to work if he spoke, so he stayed silent.

Orochimaru fingered the elasticated waist of his boxers before pushing his hand inside.

Naruto clenched the sheets in his hands and returned his gaze to the floating material of the curtains. Dancing purple spots decorated the calm green colour of them now, and Naruto felt his eyes prick as Orochimaru began to move his hand.

There was no way he was going to cry. Last week had been the first time he'd let himself since that fateful first day at the 'Hellhole' school. He was damned if that would ever happen again. He blinked hard and gripped the sheets tightly once more.

He could feel Orochimaru's eyes on him, watching him, looking for a reaction, but he kept his face as impassive as he could and stared at the curtains, noting every detail. There was a lighter patch on it where the sun had regularly shone, bleaching the material a paler shade of green. He tried to ignore the feeling of the hand on his privates, stroking, exploring. Naruto just watched as the material of the curtains fluttered gently.

Inside his mind was a whirlwind of emotions, and inner voices were screaming at him to move, to hit Orochimaru in his disgusting, perverted face, to do _something_. But his body just sat there, a silent shell. It was like his mind had been ripped in two. One part of him was there, living it, feeling the hand on him all too acutely, feeling the growing heat in his lower abdomen, feeling the hardening. That part was screaming and crying inwardly, repulsed at the feeling, repulsed by his response to it.

The other half of his mind had drifted away. It was watching the calm sway of the faded green curtain in the breeze, completely detached from the body that sat there on the infirmary bed with that man sitting beside it. But the heat built up and Orochimaru increased his speed. Naruto could feel his muscles begin to clench despite himself. He wanted more than anything to reach out and stay Orochimaru's hand, or better, to punch him hard in the face. The man was smirking and saying things, whispering words, but whatever they were, Naruto didn't hear them. It became a senseless noise in his head. He felt the heat begin to curl in his stomach and the present part of his mind fought hard against the feeling, but the resistance only seemed to fuel the fire, and the heat continued to build and build, and Orochimaru continued to stroke until finally Naruto leaned forward and came with one almost silent gasp.

His grip on the sheets momentarily tightened before he let the material fall loose in his grasp, trying to steady his breathing.

Naruto remained leaning forward, letting his hair fall into his face and cover his eyes as he felt a bead of sweat drip down his forehead.

Orochimaru finally, mercifully pulled his hand out of the teen's boxers, a satisfied look on his face.

"You see, Naruto-kun." he said. "It doesn't have to be unpleasant. I can give you pleasure if you let me."

"Fuck you." replied Naruto, but it came out as a mere whisper and his voice shook distinctly. Curse his stupid voice and his traitorous body. Orochimaru didn't respond. He wiped his hand on a fresh, white cloth, and gently wrapped a bandage around Naruto's chemical burn. The light touches felt almost worse than the pain before and each brush of his hand felt like a new burn being branded into Naruto's thigh.

"You have a little time remaining of free period now, Naruto-kun." said Orochimaru. "But I expect to see you in detention after school."

The words didn't take Naruto by surprise, only increasing the heaviness of a deadened weight in his chest.

"Put your pants back on, Naruto." said Orochimaru. He was watching him again, his unblinking yellow eyes fixed on Naruto's clear blue.

Naruto obeyed without thinking. He stood up on shaky legs and tried to ignore the wet, sticky feeling in his boxers as he pulled up his pants. The pain of his burn had lessened under the firm pressure of the bandage.

Orochimaru pulled open the curtains as Naruto was doing up the last button and he felt a surge of panic as he saw the nurse turn to look at them through the window. Had she heard? Did she know? But rather than shock or guilt, her face turned into the same pleasant smile she'd worn before, and she met them as they walked out of the infirmary.

"Does it feel any better, Naruto?" she said in her gentle voice.

No, she hadn't heard a thing. She'd sat behind that window in her office and not noticed a single damn thing. The cold fear Naruto had felt at being discovered was replaced by a hot rage and he suddenly felt the urge to yell and scream, _This shouldn't be allowed! How can you not fucking notice?_

But he said nothing, just grunted and brushed past Akino who opened her mouth in surprise and gave Orochimaru a questioning look. Orochimaru smiled and shrugged as Naruto left the room.

"Teenagers." he said by way of explanation.


	18. Sealed Fate

**AN: **Man, I am mean to Naruto. O_O

Thanks to _Shining-Dreamer, Narutopokefan, Randomperson, AkiRen3, sugardash, NarutoUno2_, and _I'mNotCrazyISwear_ for your returning reviews/comments! :D Makes me so happy. I updated as fast as I could. ;)

Thanks also to _i the bright angel_ for your first review. It's much appreciated!

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 17: Sealed Fate

_Courage is not the absence of despair; it is rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair.  
><em>~George Eliot

* * *

><p>Naruto headed straight for the bathrooms and locked himself in the cubicle, closing the door with a bang. He threw the toilet seat down forcefully and sank onto it, his head in his hands. He felt sick. He wanted to scream and scream till there was nothing left, but he just sat there miserably, staring at his knees while emotions ran rampant through him.<p>

How could that man do that? He'd never hated someone so much in his entire life.

So_ humiliating._

Naruto grabbed some toilet paper and unbuttoned his pants, brusquely wiping off himself and the inside of his boxers. As he did himself up, it still felt a little damp. Naruto lifted up the toilet seat and flushed the paper down it. He didn't even want to look at it. His face already burned red with shame.

Naruto sighed and leaned his head against the cubicle wall. He wished he could stay in that cubicle for the rest of his life, just stay there and never come out, but eventually he squared his shoulders and unlocked the door. The next class would be starting soon and he needed to get his books. Naruto glanced at himself in the mirror as he passed. He hadn't cried, but there were still deep circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep that week. He sighed. He looked pretty shit. He tried to force a smile, but it looked like the soulless smile of a robot, so he gave up. Naruto skulked out of the bathrooms and made his way to his locker.

Sasuke was already there, leaning against the wall next to his own locker. His eyes were closed, but they opened to reveal deep black orbs as Naruto drew near.

"How's your leg?" he asked. The question sounded odd coming from him, his flat intonation made it seem like he didn't give a fuck either way. Naruto still needed to get used to the fact that he wasn't pure asshole.

He shrugged his reply. "It's all right. Feels a bit better."

Which was true. It hurt less with the tight bandage on although it still felt scalding hot as if burning coals had been placed on the skin. It was an oddly painful yet not painful feeling.

Sasuke nodded. "Next class will be starting soon. You going to wear those pants for the rest of the day?"

Naruto was grabbing books from his locker, but paused to look down at his pants. They were still wet from the water and there was a large hole in the thigh where the white bandage showed.

"What else am I going to wear?"

"Don't you have a spare pair of pants or your gym kit or something?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto frowned. "Why would I have my gym kit? We don't have gym today. And who the hell brings a spare pair of pants to school?"

Sasuke sighed as he pushed himself away from the wall and grabbed something out of his locker. He threw it at Naruto who caught it with an indignant "Hey, watch it!"

He looked down at the black jeans he was now holding.

"Smart people." said Sasuke, answering Naruto's earlier question. "In your case, you should have a spare everything being such a screw-up."

"Oi, fuck you." retorted Naruto automatically, then hesitated, glancing down at the jeans in his arms and back up at Sasuke. "Um, thanks."

Sasuke shrugged, looking decidedly bored. "Sure, whatever. See you in class. Try and make it on time, moron."

"Of course I'll make it on time." said Naruto to his retreating back.

Sasuke waved. "Yeah, just try not to mess up this next class, yeah? I need my free periods for studying."

Naruto had to stop himself from throwing the jeans at Sasuke's stupid, fat head. "Fuck you, fuckface!" he yelled after him.

Ugh, that guy was so fucking frustrating. If he was going to be nice, did he have to be such a dick about it? But Naruto felt slightly better on his second trip to the bathrooms as he pulled off his wet, eroded pants and pulled on the dark jeans. They were a pretty good fit. He looked down at them. They looked pretty good too, but ugh, he was wearing Sasuke's pants. That felt...weird. They reeked of his more emo style, still kind of smelt of him, too, a clean linen scent mixed with musk. Naruto shook his head. Had he just thought about Sasuke's smell? That was plain creepy.

This time as Naruto passed the mirror he forced himself to smile again. The reflection smiled back. It wasn't his usual happy smile, but it was slightly more believable. It was enough, he decided.

"Remember, Uzumaki," he said to the mirror, "Your life is with your friends. That's your real life. You can get through this."

The smile faded, and Naruto ran a hand through his hair and then grabbed a handful of it, gripping it as if it were some kind of lifeline.

"Fuck." he whispered to his reflection. "Fuck. You can get through this, Uzumaki. You _can_. You have to."

There was no fucking way he'd let Orochimaru go anywhere near his friends. There was no way he'd let him go near Sasuke. He'd never let that happen as long as he was breathing.

With that thought, Naruto left the bathrooms again, this time feeling the comfort of a clean, fresh pair of jeans. Sasuke's jeans. There was no way he'd let Orochimaru hurt Sasuke.

The day passed horribly fast and Naruto felt the growing dread mount in his stomach as each class progressed, bringing him closer and closer to the end of the day. Moments of panic would grip him during the lessons and he would sit there trying to calm himself. He felt Sasuke giving him inquisitive glances now and then. Neji too when he joined them in history, but when he asked about it, Naruto simply replied that his stomach was playing up.

All too soon the school day came to an end. Neji went to the school newspaper room, Sasuke headed to the library and Naruto made up an excuse about needing to talk to Mr. Iruka. His detention was over despite what Orochimaru had said. As he headed down the empty hallways, his backpack slung over his shoulder, how he wished he was going to see Iruka. He almost gave in to the wish as he passed the man's classroom. The door was ajar and Iruka was sitting at his desk, head down, looking over some paperwork and frowning in concentration. His warm brown eyes were scanning what looked like students' homework. Naruto's steps slowed, and he hoped and prayed for Iruka to look up, just to glance over and call out to him, but Iruka did not look up, and Naruto kept trudging until he was out of sight, his footsteps getting slower and slower as he continued through the corridors, further into the labyrinthine school.

Eventually, he arrived at the place he least wanted to be and stopped in front of the door. Naruto felt shaky, even his breathing was shaky and he tried to steady it.

"This isn't your real life." he whispered to himself. "It's j-just a nightmare. Just get through it. It's nothing."

Naruto lifted a hand and turned the door handle to Orochimaru's classroom.

The man was sitting inside at his desk. Like Iruka he seemed to be looking over paperwork, but the difference was so stark. Instead of the warm chocolate brown eyes, he was staring with those dead, yellow irises. His skin was so sickly pale and that smile, that smile which was so unlike Iruka's kind smile was aimed at Naruto as the teacher looked up. It was the smile of a frozen puppet, a nightmarish monster dressed in the skin of a man.

Naruto shuddered.

"Close the door, Naruto-kun." said Orochimaru.

Naruto did and then remained still, his back pressed against the door. He didn't care that he looked like a coward right now.

Orochimaru smirked. "Come closer."

Reluctantly, with every bone screaming in his body to run, Naruto walked closer. He had to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. His head was beginning to fill with that strange buzzing feeling he'd had before, the buzzing feeling he always seemed to get now when this man was around. It was like his brain was being wrapped in fog, yet his senses seemed to be awakened tenfold, so that he felt every millisecond of time, heard every pinprick of sound, felt every miniscule sensation so much more. He could hear the honks and bustle of traffic outside of the school building, so near, yet so far away, and could even feel the stirring of the hot air in the classroom waft on his skin. He hated it.

Orochimaru stood up when he approached and leaned against his desk.

"Closer." he said when Naruto stopped a couple of feet away. Naruto swallowed and moved closer. When he was a foot away, Orochimaru grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards him. Naruto let out a yelp of surprise, but he didn't try to run. Instead he stood perfectly still like a statue in the older man's grip. At first he thought Orochimaru was going to kiss him, but he didn't. He just stood there, smiling, holding Naruto's shirt and looking at the boy's face which was only a few inches from his own. Slowly, he let go of Naruto's collar, and the boy relaxed slightly, but not for long.

"Kneel." said Orochimaru.

Naruto blinked. "What?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "I said, 'Kneel.'"

Naruto hesitated. Why was he supposed to kneel? What was Orochimaru going to do? He glanced down. He was wearing Sasuke's jeans. Fuck, he should've changed first. Fuck! He couldn't let this happen while he was wearing Sasuke's jeans.

"I-" began Naruto.

Orochimaru didn't wait for Naruto to obey. Grasping him by the shoulders he pushed him down by force. Naruto's buckled under the strong pressure and his knees hit the floor hard, making him cry out in pain.

"Fuck, that fucking hurt!" he yelled. Looking up at the teacher and forgetting his fear for a moment, he glared at him.

Suddenly, he realised the position he was in. Orochimaru was looking down at him, leaning against the desk and Naruto's face was exactly level with his crotch. Orochimaru began to unbuckle his belt.

_Fuck, no._ Naruto thought to himself. _Just no._

He started to move back, tried to get to his feet, but Orochimaru grabbed him suddenly by the throat. Naruto grabbed at the hand that was choking him, trying to pry it off.

"You can leave, Naruto." hissed Orochimaru. "You can get up and leave, but you know what will happen. So what's it going to be?"

Gradually, Naruto stopped struggling. He let his hands fall uselessly at his side.

"That's what I thought." said Orochimaru smugly, letting him go. He continued to undo his pants and pulled out his hard member only a few inches away from Naruto's face.

The teen was sure he was going to be sick. The nausea was writhing in his stomach like a wild animal and he fought to keep it down. Could he do this? He couldn't do this.

Orochimaru was speaking, it pervaded through the buzzing fog in Naruto's mind. "...pleasured you before Naruto-kun, so now it's your turn to pleasure me."

"I can't." whispered Naruto, accidentally voicing his thoughts. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

The pleasant tone of Orochimaru's voice changed abruptly to a harsh edge. "You can, Uzumaki, and you will. If I feel teeth I'll fucking kill you and then I'll go and find myself a little Uchiha toy to play with. You got that? Now open your mouth, you useless. little. fuck."

Naruto felt himself beginning to hyperventilate. He put his head down and took in gulps of air. He could do this. He could do this. He had to do this. He just needed to reach up and...

Suddenly, he had no choice nor time to prepare as Orochimaru grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked his head back with an impatient growl. The next moment he shoved himself to the hilt into the teen's mouth.

Naruto let out a cry but it was quickly cut off to a choke. He tried to push the man off as he thrust into his mouth, but it was useless with the strong grip he held on his hair, and finally Naruto could do nothing but kneel there and take it as the teacher used his mouth, clinging onto the hips that thrust against him in his struggle to stay upright. Naruto couldn't concentrate on the pain, more focused on trying to breathe every time the man pulled out slightly. He choked and gagged every time Orochimaru pushed in.

He had no idea how long it lasted. It felt like forever and he wasn't quite sure how he stayed conscious as he tried desperately to get oxygen into his lungs all the while having his throat blocked and choking.

It finally came to an end when Orochimaru stopped thrusting, standing rigid and Naruto tasted a horrible salty liquid in the back of his mouth. It trickled down his throat. He gagged and the moment Orochimaru pulled out, letting go, Naruto could hold back the nausea no longer and fell to the side on all fours, vomitting violently onto the floor.

Once, then a second time.

His eyes watered, his throat burned, but it felt a relief to get that flavour out of his mouth. He wished his stomach acid would burn off the inside of his mouth rather than have to live with what it had contained. He spat the last dregs of the vomit as it dripped from his lips, adding to the pool that had formed and gulped in blessed air, still coughing.

"Clean that up." said Orochimaru looking down at the boy. "There's a mop and bucket in the storage closet."

Naruto couldn't reply as he continued to choke and regulate his breathing.

"I don't want my room to smell of vomit." continued Orochimaru. "You'll need to learn to have a stronger stomach in the future."

_In the future_. The words had no effect now but to increase the heavy, sinking feeling in Naruto's stomach.

Orochimaru pulled out a package from his desk drawer and threw it on the floor next to Naruto.

"Deliver this to 57 Elmbank Street. You should have no trouble finding it."

With that, Orochimaru swept past him and out of the door, leaving the teen alone in the empty classroom.


	19. Dead End

**AN: **My poor, neglected readers. I am so so sorry for making you wait for so long! It really wasn't my intention and I have been thinking about you, but unfortunately life has been getting in the way. I have finally got another chapter. I've had zero time to write which is ironic since I thought I'd have more time in this country since I wouldn't be so social, but it turns out that meeting people is inevitable, and I'm always out or working. I'm even seeing someone right now, so I have very little time, but I'll do my best to get the next chapter out faster. I hope you'll be able to enjoy this one for now, and don't worry. I still intend to complete this story. I won't give up!

I haven't proofread this so it might get changed later. ;)

Thank you to _Ihavetoomanyships, BreakMeAkatsuki, latteTALK, IWishIWasaCheesecake, Browine_ and all the Guests for your comments and sheer incredible patience. I'll try not to make you wait so long again! Now, I'm off out for a run to clear my head.

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 18: Dead End

_Despair is a narcotic. It lulls the mind into indifference.  
><em>~Charlie Chaplin

* * *

><p>That was how things went from then on. Naruto lived two lives - the life with his friends and the life in the darkness. It was like a living nightmare. Naruto never knew when Orochimaru would summon him. There were no pretenses now. Some days he would be asked to deliver the drugs to shifty customers. Most days Orochimaru would just have him come in after class. Naruto managed to hide it for the most part. He became two people. With his friends, he was Naruto, same old Naruto...although now and then he'd catch Sasuke giving him a weird look as if he knew something was up. Naruto hated that, so he tried even harder to act normal. If Sasuke suspected anything, he never asked.<p>

Naruto stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. Lowering his head, he spat into the sink for the umpteenth time, ran his mouth under the sink again and gargled. Damn, he wished he had a toothbrush...or bleach. He'd never considered drinking a bottle of bleach before. He couldn't help wondering if it would be worth it just to get rid of this taste on the back of his tongue. It wouldn't go away, drowning his senses. And if he drank too much bleach...well, would it be so bad?

Naruto's looked back at his reflection. His eyes looked dead. His face was an impassive mask, peaceful almost, with no hint of the raging emotions broiling underneath the surface. It was strange how the emotions felt so strong and yet so incredibly hollow and numb. He hated his sullen face. It looked sallow and tired. There were black rings under his eyes. He hated his body too. It felt unclean, sore and stained. His virginity was long gone, any semblance of innocence with it, and his mouth and throat felt sore and bruised. Naruto let out a silent sigh as he stared at his own disgustingness.

Why did he have to be so fucking pathetic?

"Smile, Uzumaki." he whispered, his mouth barely moving. "Don't let them get you down."

He didn't even attempt a smile, and simply stood in front of the mirror for a few minutes, staring at the failure in front of him. His face was a silent pool. Then, without warning Naruto yelled and punched the glass as hard as he could. It shattered under the impact. He pulled his fist away, ignoring the blood that dripped from his now-cut hand. The pain didn't even register.

"Fuck you, Uzumaki!" he yelled at the broken reflection. "Fuck you, you fucking loser!"

"Fuck." he said again, gripping the sides of the basin, he dropped his gaze and screwed his eyes shut, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet as he repeated quietly. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

Naruto lost track of how long he stayed in that bathroom just swearing at himself, but at some point he stopped. The murmuring quietened down and faded into silence and he opened his eyes, his face falling into the odd, impassive mask he'd been wearing before. He squared his shoulders, and put on his backpack. He wrapped his hand in toilet paper and he cleaned up the blood around the sink and mirror. By the time Naruto had left the boy's bathroom all semblance of emotion disappeared and he set off to deliver Orochimaru's latest package. He looked at it with only a vague curiosity as he noted that the address was his own apartment complex yet the number of the flat was not Shunsuke's.

When Naruto arrived home it was dusk. The stifling summer air was turning a husky gold as the sun set and Naruto climbed the stairs of the grey apartment complex. He didn't like taking the elevator. It smelled funny and one time he had been stuck in there for a few floors with a guy in a dirty grey coat who kept muttering to himself and looking at Naruto as if _he_ were the one acting weirdly. It was a good incentive not to take the elevator. This building seemed to be choc-a-block with druggies and psychos.

Naruto went a few floors above his own and wandered along the dully-carpeted hallways. He finally arrived at a gray apartment door, the number matching the one on his parcel. He took a deep breath and knocked. You never knew what kind of person was going to open the door. Most of them just looked defeated, similar to Shunsuke - like they'd given up on life. Now and then though was the weirdo who looked like he'd as soon knife you as talk to you. Naruto always made sure to get things over with as quickly as possible with them.

The door opened and Naruto was met with a man sporting a shock of bright red hair and hard, emerald green eyes. Naruto couldn't stop the surprise on his face. There was no mistaking it. This was Red's dad. They couldn't look more alike if they tried, except instead of Red's emotionless expression this guy's face was sharper, harder and grumpy as fuck.

"The fuck do you want?" he said.

Naruto wasn't sure what to say. He glanced down at the package in his hands. He was delivering to fucks like this?

The man's eyes sparked in recognition when they fell on the package.

"Orochimaru?" he said.

Naruto nodded numbly.

"So you're the new kid. Naruto Uzumaki, right? I know your guardian, Shunsuke. He fell on some fucking hard times to take you in, eh?"

"Yeah, lucky me." replied Naruto flatly. He wasn't here to chitchat. In fact, he was in two minds about kicking this guy in the balls and running away.

The man opened his apartment door wide and went inside.

"Let me grab some cash." he said as he went into a nearby room.

Since Naruto had been 'upgraded' in the organisation he was now taking payment from the people he delivered to. Not always easy, let me tell you. There were two rules: 1) Never enter the customer's house. 2) Always get payment before handing over the package.

But curiosity burned in the pit of Naruto's stomach. This was where Red lived. Was he here?

Without realising it, Naruto had edged forward, his sneakers squeaking slightly as he crossed over the threshold onto a laminated wooden floor. This apartment was much neater than Shunsuke's. Almost anally neat. Could we say control freak? Yes, yes we could.

Naruto chanced a quick look around. Which was Red's room? He could see a door ajar on the other side of the apartment. He took a step forward. It could be a kid's room but it was difficult to tell. Naruto took another step forward. He saw a flash of red hair peek from behind the door and then two wide green eyes that turned even wider when they saw who it was.

Naruto gave a weak smile and waved, but was only met with a look of sheer panic. _Great. _Red got to see him delivering drugs to his dad.

There probably wasn't a single person in his life he could look up to and now Naruto had joined the ranks. He sighed and mouthed, "Sorry."

Red shook his head slightly although what it meant, Naruto wasn't sure, but Red opened his door slightly more, looking around the apartment, and then waved his hand at Naruto. There was no mistaking that sign. It meant, "_Go away."_

Naruto would have thought it meant Red was angry, but for the look of panic on his face.

"The fuck are you doing coming into my apartment?" said an angry voice.

The grumpy-looking face from earlier looked positively murderous now, and Red's father came up to him within a few strides. Naruto was literally only a couple of steps inside the apartment and quickly began to move back, but the man grabbed his shirt collar.

"Planned on stealing my shit you shifty little bastard. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Naruto grabbed at the hand on his collar and shook it off. "Fuck you, mate. I'm not a thief."

The man slapped him hard upside the head before grabbing his collar again.

"Oh is that right?" he replied disbelievingly. "So you just thought you'd take a stroll inside, huh? Fucking little liar." Another slap to the head. Naruto shoved at the man's arms.

"Get the fuck off me!"

There was a faint shuffling noise behind them and the man turned to see Red staring at them, the fear evident in his face. He was breathing quickly, but he met his father's eyes.

_Fuck. Red was trying to help him. Fuck no. No, Red. Go back in your room._

"Get back in your room, Gaara, you little shit." said his father.

It took a few moments before Naruto realised Gaara was Red's real name. Red/Gaara didn't move. His father suddenly released Naruto and moved towards the small boy.

"Did you hear what I said? Get the fuck back in your room."

Red was practically hyperventilating now, but he didn't move.

"Re-Gaara, I'm fine. Go in."

Gaara gave him a questioning, panicked look which Naruto returned with a confident smile.

Gaara's father meanwhile was looking between the two of them as something slowly dawned on him.

"You." he whispered, "You're the one my son has been spending time with, aren't you?"

The silence and the exchanged glances between the boys answered his question.

"Sneaking out at all hours, not doing his chores. You're the one that's been making him act out like this, aren't you?" said the man. "You've been _changing_ him."

He advanced on Gaara, "This is the kind of shit you've been associating with. Get over here now."

Gaara didn't move. It looked like he was literally rooted to the spot with fear, so the man moved toward him. Naruto rushed forward as he saw the man's fist rise. He grabbed his arm and punched Gaara's father hard in the face. It was a spontaneous reaction.

The man stumbled back clutching his face in disbelief. He looked back up at Naruto in shock as if he couldn't believe he'd actually hit him. The surprise was quickly turning to anger...murderous anger.

"Red, let's go...now." said Naruto urgently and held out his hand. This time Gaara did move, but not in the direction Naruto expected. He gave Naruto a look of pain and scuttled quickly into his room. Naruto hesitated. If he ran he'd be leaving the man to take his anger out on Gaara. Then again, if he fought him he'd just make the man more angry afterwards. He began to shift his way back towards the door. Idiot. He should have grabbed Gaara and run out with him. _Fuck._

The man rushed at Naruto and he dodged quickly aside. Thank goodness he still had some decent reflexes.

Now his escape to the door was cut off.

"What're you going to do now, Orochimaru's pet?" growled the man almost gleefully.

He was like an animal, his green eyes were crazed and his face had turned a pale shade of red from the adrenaline.

"Thought you'd just steal my son and leave?"

Naruto met his gaze grimly as they circled the room. The man was eyeing him, a hunter hunting its prey. "I wasn't planning on anything. I'm not trying to take Gaara. I'm trying to protect him from you."

"From me?" the man gave a bark of laughter. "I give that boy everything he needs, more than the little bastard deserves."

"You think a 5 year old child needs to be abused?"

The man's manic grin dropped. "I'm doing nothing wrong. I give him the discipline he needs."

"Yeah, you like to punch and kick 5 year old children. Because that's what happy, well-adjusted people do. Is that even all you do?" shot back Naruto sarcastically.

He barely saw the fist that flew towards his face. Garaa's father had rushed forward and Naruto could only feel the pain as the punch collided with his cheek. A grown man with an armful of muscle hitting you in the face feels like being hit with a large brick. Naruto went down. Stars were exploding in his vision.

He felt a hand grab his hair and jerk his head back.

"You think I'm a pervert who'd touch my own son? I don't fuck family, you little freak. Don't think that just because you're Orochimaru's new toy, you can get away with this kind of shit. I will make your life a living hell if you stick your nose in my business ever again, and I will make sure my son learns his lesson from you that I should never, ever be crossed. You fucking got that, you little shit?"

Suddenly, he pulled Naruto up and pushed him against the wall. Naruto struggled against the larger man, trying to get a punch in the gut, but Gaara's father simply pushed tighter against him. He leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"And when Orochimaru has dropped you as his new favourite, I'll still be here, Uzumaki. I'll still be here and I'll be waiting. If you think being Orochimaru's toy is bad, just wait until you're left with me."

Naruto felt the man's tongue lick lightly on the shell of his ear. He jerked his head to one side and the next moment the heavy weight of the man pull away only to be followed by a hard punch to the gut. He dropped to the ground again and groaned as a swift kick was aimed at his stomach. The beating stopped and when Naruto opened his eyes it was to see a small frightened face peeking through the bedroom doorway, besmirched with tears flowing from two wide, scared eyes. Naruto tried to smile to reassure him, but he was sure it just ended up as a grimace, and he stood slowly on his feet. As soon as he was up, Gaara's father shoved him out the front door and slammed it behind him.

Naruto stumbled into his own apartment, his own room and slammed the door hard. He sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. It was still aching. He gingerly touched his cheek.

_Fuck that guy. Fuck him._

Naruto stared at the carpet. Great. Now not only had he just made another enemy, but he'd made things even worse for Re...Gaara. Such a genius, Uzumaki, he thought to himself. He could still see that stricken little face as Naruto took a swipe at his dad. _Fuck, if he'd had half a brain. _That guy would probably be even more short-tempered with Gaara from now on. If he could, Naruto would up and run and take Gaara with him...but if he did that Sasuke and his friends... Ugh, why did everything have to be so complicated? Naruto sat there for a while as the sinking realisation finally hit him at his core. He, Naruto Uzumaki, was absolutely powerless. He couldn't help Gaara. He couldn't stop Orochimaru, and he would probably be in this drug circuit till his dying day - most likely a gruesome one. Either that or be sent to prison. Naruto stared at the carpet feeling decidedly numb. He curled up on his bed and lay there for maybe hours? He didn't do any homework that night. He just couldn't face it. Couldn't concentrate even if he did try.

At some point he took off his clothes, gingerly peeling them off his sore body and lay in the bed in his boxers, just lying there. He would try to close his eyes now and then but as usual in his insomniac life he would just see horrible images of Orochimaru. Now his body hurt too. There was no way he was getting to sleep tonight. Naruto sighed and turned over tucking the corner of his pillow under his chin. He stared at his parent's photo on his bedside table. They continued to smile so callously. He hated that they looked so happy. It made them feel so far away, so far away that they had no clue what was going on in his life. If they did they'd maybe have the courtesy to look a little bit sad. Naruto lowered his gaze.

His eyes fell on something red on the carpet. It was near the corner of the bedside table, slightly hidden behind it. Naruto reached down gingerly, hissing in pain as his bruised stomach rubbed against the side of the bed, but he picked it up.

A pill.

He stared at it. He'd thrown that stupid pill jar Orochimaru gave him ages ago, flushing the contents down the toilet, but the lid had come off and the pills had spilled everywhere. He thought he'd gotten them all...but here was one.

Naruto continued to stare at it. He wasn't sure why. There was nothing fascinating about it. It was an ordinary looking round pill, kind of a rough texture and about the same size as a small aspirin.

But as he stared at it there were these voices wandering around his mind, whispering. _It's just a small sleeping pill. It'll help you sleep. That's what Orochimaru said. It'll make you feel better. You're in pain. Your throat hurts, your body hurts. Just take this and have one peaceful night. Just one night of sleep. Just one. Just _one _night._

Naruto held the pill to his lips, feeling the texture. He shouldn't take it. He didn't know for sure what it was. ...Orochimaru had said it was a sleeping pill. He couldn't trust him. But he'd said it would make him feel better. He definitely couldn't trust that.

Naruto stuck out his tongue and gave the pill a brief lick, just to see what it tasted like.

It was...sweet...almost fizzy like a candy. That was definitely a surprise. Naruto had expected some medicinal taste. Something strange flowed through Naruto. The flavour seemed to fill up his mouth and he felt slightly lighter. He licked again and then before he knew it, he popped the pill in his mouth, just to feel the texture of it with his tongue. He should spit it out. He would spit it out, but the pill was fizzing pleasantly in his mouth, like bubbles. Just a little more of the flavour. Naruto felt ever so slightly lightheaded. He took the pill out of his mouth quickly, spitting it back into his hand. It was smaller...quite a bit smaller. Fuck, he'd taken some. It wouldn't be a problem though, right? It was just a little. He wouldn't take more. He wouldn't. Naruto lay back, the remains of the pill still held in his hand. His body was beginning to feel slightly strange, kind of light and fresh, like he was being filled with cool clouds. It was the only way he could describe it. He lay there for a while, enjoying the sensation. It slowly increased. It felt good. Naruto couldn't suppress a smile. The first smile he'd had in ages. It felt good. It all felt good. Naruto's worries seemed to be melting from his mind. All that had happened that day slowly disappeared from his mind and his mind was filled with the beautiful cool sensation of clouds. It felt fresh and happy, just feeling. This was...bliss.


	20. Only Escape

My poor, sweet, neglected readers. :( I can`t believe it`s been three months since I updated and I can only apologise. I have been stressed to the point of illness thanks to my frighteningly busy job, but although things are still busy, I`m getting things back on track and hope to update more.

Someone asked me if I will be discontinuing this story. The answer is a decisive "No." No matter how long it takes me to finish this story, I WILL finish it. Once I start something I like to complete it, so don`t give up on me. :)

Thanks to my kind reviewers for your messages (guests, Lily, kiki2222, , ladysakura, darkheirharry, kouyo, sugardash, NarutoUno2, IWishIWasaCheesecake, uchihahinata21, Shining-Dreamer, Ascendead Master). So many since I`ve been absent. I won`t make you wait so long again!

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 19: Only Escape

_We feel free when we escape - even if it be but from the frying pan to the fire._

~Eric Hoffer_  
><em>

* * *

><p>Naruto woke the next day feeling groggy. His head felt thick like it was wrapped in cotton and he only vaguely noted the sharp beeping of his alarm. He sat up slowly and hit the snooze button. The remains of good feeling still lingered, but it felt more like the memory of happiness than genuine happiness. Still, Naruto clung to the feelings and savoured them as much as he could, pushing down the darkness that threatened to well up again.<p>

He threw his legs over the side of the bed and got dressed quickly. As he picked his shirt up off the floor where he`d unceremoniously dropped it last night, the remains of the small red pill rolled out of the folds of material. It must have fallen out of his hand while he had been sleeping. Naruto picked it up and looked at it for a moment.

Should he? He could get a little of the feeling back…

Naruto shook his head quickly. Was he really going to swallow a half-eaten pill?

No, he hadn`t sunk quite that low. The frog clock on his bedside table suddenly started beeping again. Fuck! He needed to get going. Naruto switched the alarm off and threw the pill into the trash can before dashing out of the apartment to school.

* * *

><p>Kiba and Ino were leaning against the lockers talking to Sasuke as Naruto dashed into the hallway. Or rather, Ino was talking to Sasuke rather enthusiastically while Kiba was staring at the white wall opposite him in boredom.<p>

He grinned at the sight of Naruto, "Hey, Uzumaki, running late as usual? We should call you Tornado." He thought for a moment. "Nah, Turdnado. Or maybe just Turd. Yeah, I like that best."

Naruto rolled his eyes and shoved Kiba aside to reach his locker. "Shut up, Dogbreath. Just `cos you got stuck with a nickname that suits you don`t take it out on me."

Kiba narrowed his eyes as he noticed Ino smirking. "Don't know what you`re laughing at…Ino-Pig."

Ino immediately stopped smirking. "Oh you did not just go there, Dogboy."

Kiba grinned. "I went there and had a party, Ino."

Ino took a threatening step forward.

"Who`s having a party?" asked a voice.

Naruto turned from getting his books out of his locker. A figure in front of him surprised him, and he took a quick step back smacking his head into the locker door. Neji stood in front of him, looking at him curiously. His long hair was loose today, long dark strands framing his pale face. For a moment…Naruto had thought he was…but no Neji had calm, violet eyes, not those yellow sickening ones. Naruto took a deep breath.

"You ok, Naruto?" asked Neji, breaking Naruto from his thoughts.

Naruto quickly pasted a grin on his face. "Sure man, just in a rush today. Thought I was going to be late." He glanced at his watch. "Turns out I`m early."

"That makes a first." said Sasuke. He was looking at Naruto with that…look, the look Naruto hated, like he was trying to figure something out.

"Screw you, asshole." replied Naruto automatically, but it lacked his usual passion, and he turned quickly to close his locker door.

Neji raised a brow, but said nothing. Instead he turned to Kiba. "So what`s this about a party?"

"Oh, there isn`t one. At least, not today." replied Ino for him. "Kiba was just being his usually mentally-crippled self. He`s feeling insecure about the fact that he looks and smells like a dog after it`s rolled in pee and been left in the rain."

Ino gave Kiba a challenging smirk after that line.

Kiba scowled. "Yeah, well, at least I`m not named after a fat, loud, stupid animal known for rolling in its own muck."

"Wow." Said Neji. "Are any of you guys ever nice to each other?"

Kiba grinned devilishly. "Why be nice when being mean is so much fun?"

Naruto jerked a thumb towards Kiba. "Besides, he`s a dogfreak." He then nodded towards Sasuke. "And he`s an asshole."

"And he`s a retard." countered Sasuke smoothly. He began to walk away down the hallway, and everyone naturally followed as they began to make their way to classes. Kiba slung an arm round Neji who immediately looked both surprised and uncomfortable.

"True friends are the kind you can insult." He turned to look back at Naruto. "Right, shit-for-brains?"

Naruto nodded absently, ignoring the slur. He was tired. Ugh, he always felt tired these days, and he blinked hard trying to get rid of the fog around his brain, while still trying desperately to hold onto the good feelings that had been extinguished completely when he`d momentarily mistaken Neji for …._him_.

* * *

><p>Over the course of the day even the memory of it disappeared. In fact, Naruto felt worse, like a dark hole was forming inside his gut, clawing at his insides. It craved the feeling from before like an animal wanting to feed. He sat with his friends at lunchtime pretending to listen to the conversation, but his thoughts were preoccupied with the feelings running through him. He could barely eat his ramen and just pushed it around in the bowl. He was eating the premium stuff these days, now that he had the money to afford it, but not even that could tempt his appetite. His body was wanting something else.<p>

"So are you coming, Naruto?"

Naruto looked up quickly. "Huh?"

Ino was looking at him impatiently. "We`re all going to the arcade after school. You in?"

"Oh," he replied distractedly, "I can`t. I have to work."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You always have to work. Can`t you come after?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don`t think so. I`m not feeling too great today."

Sakura who had been goggling at Sasuke opposite her, managed to tear her eyes away to shoot Naruto a look of concern. "What`s wrong?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nothing major. Just not feeling too good."

Neji glanced at Naruto`s uneaten ramen. "It`s not that stomach thing again, is it?"

Naruto shot him a quick grin. "Nah, I think I`m just tired. I`ll feel better after some sleep."

"Ok," said Sakura, "What about you, Sasuke? Do you want to come?" She gave him a hopeful look.

Sasuke had been watching Naruto through the exchange with that searching look, but he flicked his eyes to Sakura.

"I`m not interested in arcades." came the bland reply.

Naruto couldn`t help rolling his eyes. "Yeah, heaven forbid the Uchiha actually enjoys doing something."

"Look who`s talking." replied Sasuke.

"Whaddaya mean? I enjoy doing all kinds of shit." said Naruto heatedly.

"He`s got a point, Uzumaki." chipped in Kiba. "You haven`t hung out with us in ages, and you`ve stopped coming to soccer practice. You`re always working or tired. What do you spend all your time doing?"

Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "What`s with the inquisition? I deliver newspapers and shit all over town. I have to get up early and I deliver after school. Of course I`m gonna be tired."

He hated lying to them, but it had been the only cover story he`d been able to think of.

"Yeah, well, you need to ditch the deliveries once in a while and relax." Said Ino. "Too much stress is bad for your health. If you don`t take a break, you`re just gonna be sick more often and get stressed and depressed. Know what I`m saying?"

_Tell me about it._ thought Naruto grimly, but he smiled warmly at Ino.

"Well, maybe I`ll try and get a break once in a while."

The gnawing feeling seemed to grow as he sat in English class, turning into the strongest hunger he`d ever felt, or the strongest thirst. No, the strongest _craving_. His entire body was aching for it. He felt hot and sick. The blackboard seemed to shimmer and he couldn`t concentrate. Naruto raised his hand.

Iruka was reading a paragraph of the poet Byron at the front of his class, but he paused when he noticed the hand, "Yes, Naruto?"

"Can I go to the bathroom?" asked Naruto quickly, the words seemed to tumble out of his dry mouth. He needed some water desperately.

Iruka`s brow furrowed slightly in conern."Of course. Go ahead."

"Thanks." Naruto got up quickly and grabbed the bathroom pass which hung on a hook on the wall next to the blackboard. He was so goddamn thirsty. He needed something. He needed to drink until he was sick. He needed…

The image of that little red pill danced in front of his mind`s eyes.

No! He didn`t need that. Hell, he hadn`t even eaten the whole thing. It was impossible for him to need that.

Naruto practically ran along the corridor to reach the bathroom. When he arrived, he burst through the door and dashed to the sink, turning on the tap. The water rushed out and Naruto lowered his mouth under the tap gulping down the metallic, lukewarm water like a man fresh from the desert.

There was a split second of satisfaction, then the craving seemed to come back tenfold. Naruto`s stomach cramped up and he felt like he was going to be sick. Maybe he`d drunk too much water, yet he still felt so thirsty. Naruto bit his thumbnail distractedly as he stared at himself in the mirror. Fuck.

The rushing sound of water brought him back to life as he finally noticed the tap was still running. Quickly, Naruto turned it off and left the bathrooms.

He breathed deeply as he made his way down the corridors back to the classroom. There was no fucking way he was going to let this beat him. No fucking way.

He re-entered the classroom, feeling Iruka`s eyes on him as he took his seat. He was going to concentrate and forget about that little red pill. There was no way he would think about it. He`s think about something else instead, what was Iruka talking about? Byron? Yeah, he would think about Byron, beautiful poetry instead of that little red pill. And Naruto dug his nails into his palms, spending the rest of the class thinking about not thinking about that little red pill.

Naruto wasn`t sure how he made it to the end of the day. Time seemed to drag past, a special torture for the teen as he tried desperately to think about something other than that stupid drug. Now was harder than ever. The evil clawing animal inside of him seemed to go berserk as he made his way to Orochimaru`s classroom for whatever was in store for him today. Everything in Naruto screamed at him to run home and just disappear inside a cloud of contentment. Instead he put one step in front of the other and continued on his fateful path.

* * *

><p>Orochimaru was sitting at his desk as usual, his slick black hair pulled round so that it hung over one shoulder. Man, Naruto hated his hair. It was black as night with a bright sheen like polished onyx. It reminded Naruto of poison. Everything about this man was poison, from his sickly white skin to his dead, yellow eyes.<p>

He looked up as Naruto entered the room. "Glad you could make it." he said smoothly.

_As if I had a choice, you disgusting slimy bastard, _thought Naruto. But he said nothing. He`d learned not to say anything if at all possible. It only made things worse.

Orochimaru stood up and walked over to the teen who stood as still as he could, trying to calm the revulsion that was climbing up his throat. He couldn`t help flinching as Orochimaru brought a hand up to touch his face and caressed his cheek. He was never able to get used to the man`s touch.

Orochimaru pulled away. "You feel hot. Are you ill?"

"I`m fine." replied Naruto shortly.

"Of course you are." said Orochimaru in a patronising tone. "I have some medicine here if you`d like some. Aspirin can help to bring down a fever."

He pulled a silver packet of what might or might not be aspirin out of his desk drawer. Naruto wasn`t going to believe a word this man said.

"Then again," continued Orochimaru, "I do have something more potent that will work wonders if you`d like to try."

"No, thanks." Said Naruto quickly. They`d had these conversations enough times for Naruto`s reply to be automatic, but he couldn`t help recalling the feelings he`d had last night, a moment of escape, a moment of happiness. But no, he wasn`t going to become a druggie. No way.

"Well, suit yourself." said Orochimaru finally. He pulled out a jar of small, red pills and put them in a brown paper bag. "I`d like you to deliver these to 7 Osborne Drive, and these," He held up another jar of pills. "to 18 Westward Street. Make sure and get payment. This customer may try to delay payment if he can, but I trust in your skills to get it." Naruto felt the veiled threat keenly. It was better not to know what Orochimaruw would do if he failed.

He couldn`t help gazing at that little jar of red pills as Orochimaru set it on the desk and pulled out another paper bag to place it in. Contentment was so close. He could reach out and touch it. Just one little pill. The animal inside seemed to be growing, like it wanted to climb out and grab that pill itself. Naruto was using every ounce of willpower to keep it back, to control his body and stop himself from grabbing that jar and downing every single last one.

"See something you like, Naruto?"

Orochimaru`s voice cut into Naruto`s thoughts and he quickly tore his eyes from the jar of pills and stared at the wall.

Orochimaru picked up the little red jar. "Interested in trying one, are we?"

He walked towards Naruto, bringing the jar closer and closer, right in front of Naruto`s face. Orochimaru`s small smile turned into a full-fledged grin as he saw the longing on the boy`s face.

"Or…perhaps you already have."

Orochimaru popped open the lid with a flick of his finger and tipped a red pill onto the palm of his hand. He held it in front of Naruto.

"Give into your desires, Naruto." He said smoothly. "What else do you have left? You might as well gain some happiness, don`t you think? And here I am, giving it to you for free."

He took Naruto`s hand and placed the pill into his palm. "Take it."

Naruto was shaking now. The desire to put that pill into his mouth was more than he could bear. He wanted it so badly. He brought his hand up and stared at it in his palm. Just one swallow. Just one pill.

But then, Naruto glanced up to see those hungry, yellow eyes gazing at him in delight and something snapped. He hurled the pill away, his arm smacked into Orochimaru`s and the man dropped the jar of pills, scattering them onto the wooden floor. They rolled this way and that.

"Stupid boy!" shouted Orochimaru and backhanded Naruto across the side of his head.

Naruto fell hitting his head on one of the desks and landing amongst the pills as they dug into his skin.

Orochimaru breathed deeply before saying in a calm voice, "Pick them up."

His momentary loss of control was firmly under wraps.

Naruto pulled himself up to his knees and began to gather the tablets one by one while Orochimaru stood, watching carefully. Finally, after scrambling under chairs and desks and cautiously picking them up around Orochimaru`s feet, he had them all safely back in the jar.

"You missed one." said Orochimaru quietly. Naruto swallowed nervously. Orochimaru`s tone did not promise good things. The teen looked around. There it was next to the leg of a desk. Still on his hands and knees, he stretched over to pick it up. His hands curled around the pill.

Withou warning, his head was yanked back and he yelled out in pain as Orochimaru twisted his hair. The man sat on top of him, pinning him down.

"You`re too stubborn for your own good, Uzumaki." hissed Orochimaru and he twisted Naruto`s hair harder. Naruto cried out again and grabbed at the hand, and Orochimaru took that opportunity to shove a pill into his mouth. Immediately, Naruto felt the fizzing sensation of the pill on his tongue and he tried to spit it out, but Orochimaru clamped his hands over his mouth and jaw, forcing them shut. Naruto struggled, twisting his head back and forth, but as he felt the pill melt in his mouth, he couldn`t help swallowing and he stopped struggling. It just…it felt too good.

"That`s better now, isn't it, Naruto-kun." purred the man on top of him.

"Now you`ll see how much better this feels when you`re high."

Soon Naruto was too lost in the sensations of bliss to care that the man was sliding his hand up the boy`s shirt and using the other hand to undo his pants.. He was right. This did feel better.


	21. Reality is Overrated

**AN**: I`m making a conscious effort to update more. I`ve been thinking a lot about the story and I think I have all the ending worked out. Now just to write it all, and try and find time! :D

Thanks to _Shining Dreamer, uchiha hinata21, sugardash, IWishIWasaCheesecake, happysure115, AnnandRachie, P,_ and _The Dark Crimson Blood_. It`s a pleasure to get reviews from my lovely regulars and from the lovely new readers too. :D Gives me real motivation to hear your feedback. And I know, I`m so awful to poor Naruto. This fanfic is a complete angstfest. ;)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 20: Reality is Overrated

_"We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking." _  
><em>~Santosh Kalwar<em>

* * *

><p>"Kill them! Kill them!" yelled Sakura frantically.<p>

"Dammit, Ino. Stop shooting the civilians!" shouted Kiba. "You`re only supposed to hit the spiders! You`re losing us points."

Kiba and Ino stood holding large black plastic rifles, their eyes glued to the big game screen in front of them. Shino and Neji lounged against the games machine next to them, calmly watching the progress while Sakura screamed panicked instructions. Hinata was watching too, her hands over her mouth as she silently watched the giant spiders flying towards the screen only to be splattered by the laser target gunshots. The arcade around them was buzzing with adolescents happily forking out their allowances on the flashing video games.

"I can`t help it, Inazaka. Those stupid people keep running right in the way of my gun." replied Ino calmly as she not-quite-so-accidentally blasted a civilian with a well-aimed headshot.

"Fuck, Ino." Said Kiba in irritation. "Now you got a game over which means I`ll die soon."

"Relax, we can try it again later. Besides I wanted to play Dance Dance revolution next anyway."

"Awesome, I`ll do that one with you." chipped in Sakura.

Kiba groaned, but didn`t reply as he desperately tried to survive against the onslaught of spiders now all running towards his on-screen character.

He lasted a decent five minutes before being overrun. His character died with a grueling scream.

"Shit!" he yelled, shoving the gun back into the plastic holster angrily.

"Wow, you`re really shit at this game." said a voice from behind him. Kiba spun round angrily but simply opened his mouth in surprise when he saw who it was.

"Naruto, what`re you doing here?" asked Neji, standing up from his half-sitting position.

The blonde teen stood grinning in front of the group, his hands sunk casually into the pockets of his dark blue jeans.

"I finished work and went home, but I got so bored. I changed my mind and figured I`d come out after all." He smiled calmly at Neji, although there was something in the smile that Neji couldn`t quite place. It was different from usual, like it didn`t quite reach his eyes.

"What`re you doing here, Neji?" interrupted Naruto. "I thought you`d be too busy with newspaper stuff and business."

Neji shrugged. "Even I take a break now and then."

"Thank the heavens you`re here, Uzumaki!" exclaimed Kiba dramatically. "Not a single person here can shoot to save a starving baby. Step up to the plate and show me you got what it takes."

He reached into his pocket for coins, but turned up empty.

"Shit, this is your fault Ino. You wasted all my coins with your sadistic killing spree."

"Don`t worry. I`ve got this." Said Naruto cheerfully. He opened his wallet which was brimming with coins and clinked a few into the slot. "I`m loaded now thanks to my job. In fact," He turned to face the girls and gave them a 20 dollar note. "Here, take this and grab some more coins for everyone. Today is my treat."

"Awesome!" yelled Ino.

"Wow, really? Thanks, Naruto." Said Sakura.

"No worries." Said Naruto with a grin as he picked up the plastic rifle from the holster and watched the intro to the video game.

"What`s the occasion?" enquired Neji.

Naruto`s eyes were already glued to the video screen. "Eh? Nothing special." He said distractedly. "I`m just in a good mood. Besides you guys were right. I haven`t been out in ages and I need to take a break."

Naruto wasn`t just in a good mood. He felt euphoric. He would burst into song if he didn`t feel so incredibly calm. It was like a peaceful sort of bliss, relaxed and happy.

Ever since taking that pill he was in an amazing state of happiness. Even Orochimaru`s usual actions hadn`t broken the feelings. In fact, during this state, he wondered why it had ever bothered him so much. Why had he made such a big deal about it all? Why had he let it all get to him? It had been a lot less painful because he`d been relaxed and now when he recalled it and all the other times, it was only with a vague sort of objective interest, like it had happened to someone else, or rather, that it simply wasn`t important. It didn`t matter. All that mattered was that he was happy right here right now.

He barely registered the vague storyline of the game as he watched the flashing colors on the screen. His brain seemed to register the movements in slow motion and yet at full speed. It was odd but it felt good. He raised the gun and began to shoot as he and Kiba progressed through the game.

"Oi, Naruto, get the stuff on your side of the screen. I can`t kill everything myself." muttered Kiba after a few minutes into the game. "Are you even hitting anything?"

"Oh, yeah." Said Naruto calmly, shooting at mini spiders as they crawled towards his character. For some reason, the spiders kept moving too fast. He couldn`t aim at them too well.

"Uhoh," said Kiba. "Big boss time."

The game cut into a story scene and a giant tarantula burst out of the ground, towering over their characters. The lightning flashes of a storm lit up the screen. It was mesmerizing.

"Naruto, aren`t you going to shoot anything? You`re dying." Said Neji.

Naruto blinked. Somehow it was like his brain had caught up with real time and he suddenly realized the story arc was already over and the tarantula was attacking both his and Kiba`s characters. But that lightning was so hypnotizing.

"So cool." said Naruto vaguely.

Neji raised a brow.

"Fucking shoot it, Uzumaki! I`m out of ammo and it`s killing us!" yelled Kiba.

Naruto shook his head briefly and raised his gun, shooting the spider, but it was too little too late. It was game over after one particularly brutal bite from the giant tarantula as it lunged at them."

Kiba sighed and put the gun down. "Defeated on the second level. Well, we got further than I did with Ino."

Sakura, who had returned with Ino earlier, sputtered into the drink she was holding.

"That`s not what I meant!" said Kiba, turning red as he realized the double entendre.

Naruto grinned. "Suuure."

"Pff! Don`t know what you`re grinning about. Your playing was weak, man." Said Kiba sticking his tongue out at his friend. "We`ve played on my Xbox before. You had faster reactions than that."

Normally, Naruto would have defended himself, but he just couldn`t bring himself to care right now. The game didn`t matter. Just being here with his friends and being happy was what mattered. He continued to grin.

"Give him a break, Kiba." said Sakura. "It`s his first time playing."

"All right, enough of shoot-em-ups. Let`s play Dance Dance Revolution next!" said Ino.

"Oh come on, no, I hate that game." whined Kiba.

"That`s cos you`re a crappy dancer." replied Ino smoothly.

"W-what`s Dance Dance Revolution?" asked Hinata.

Ino and Sakura stared at her in amazement. "You don`t know?!"

Hinata tapped her fingers together nervously. "This is my first time in an arcade."

She squeaked in surprise as Ino slung an arm around her. "Then, you are in for an education, Miss Hyuuga."

The group spent a good few hours at the arcade with Naruto happily handing out his hard-earned cash for the play. They stopped off in the food court, talking about the night and making fun of each other about the games. Kiba really had been embarrassingly bad at Dance Dance Revolution. Dancing was obviously not his forte. Whereas after a couple of turns, Hinata had turned out to be surprisingly good. She had a natural grace which translated into excellent dancing. Even more surprisingly, Neji was excellent at it too, which brought on some jealous teasing from Kiba. ("What`re you a girl? How often do you practice, man?") Naruto on the other hand, found the arrows too fast, he gave up pretty soon and just watched. Shino showed off his talent at Guitar Hero, playing some of the most complicated songs while coolly managing to make it look like a walk in the park. Ino and Sakura raced each other competitively on Gran Turismo, playing again and again, one winning, then the other so that it eventually ended up as a draw. It didn`t stop them flinging insults at each other over their bad driving.

It was…possibly the best night of Naruto`s life even though he didn`t do all too well on the games. He kept getting distracted by the flashing screen and forgetting to play, but he watched and simply enjoyed being there. Instead of having dark thoughts and bitter memories invading his every waking moment, his mind was like a simple cloud, like a blanket had been wrapped around everything even slightly negative and pushed aside. He knew they were there, it`s just that those thoughts couldn`t touch him.

"Well, I`d better head back home. I`ve got a lot to work on tomorrow." said Neji finally .

Kiba stretched. "Yeah, man, I guess you`re right. It`s getting late and school awaits."

"Aw, it`s a shame we can`t all hang out more." said Sakura as they all made their way out of the mall. "This was fun."

"Well," replied Ino. "I heard Shikamaru`s sister is having a party next week. We should go."

"Oooh! A party! I`m so there." squealed Sakura.

"Sounds good to me." agreed Naruto. "I love parties." This was probably true considering he`d only ever been to Choji`s one after the football match, and that had been fun.

"It`s decided!" said Ino happily.

Ino , Sakura, Shino and Kiba peeled off, heading to their respective homes. They all lived in the same area, having grown up together.

Only Neji, Hinata and Naruto were left to walk in a different direction.

At first they just talked about the night`s events until silence fell between them. They walked down the dark streets, three figures passing under the fluorescent lights of the lamp posts.

Finally, Neji broke the silence. "You ok, Naruto? You`ve seemed kinda stressed lately."

Naruto sighed and put his hands behind his head as he walked. "Yeah, I guess I have been. I`ve had a lot going on, but things are ok now."

He turned to look at Neji with that odd grin. "I feel on top of the world."

Neji just nodded. "How come?"

"I dunno." Said Naruto. "I guess I just realized, life is good. I`ve got friends, food, a roof over my head and lots of money." He jingled the change in his pocket gleefully. "Lately, I`ve only ever been feeling sorry for myself and seeing all the bad stuff, but, I realized that feeling sorry for myself isn`t going to do jack shit, and actually I have a lot to be happy about."

"Well, that`s good." Replied Neji, then hesitated for a moment. "I was just a bit…I dunno. You seemed kind of out of it tonight."

"Out of it?" repeated Naruto.

"Yeah, like, a bit spacey." Said Neji.

"Oh, yeah," Naruto searched quickly for a reason. He hadn`t realized he`d seemed zoned out. He`d have to be more careful. "I guess that`s cos I`m tired. I get up really early for work and it kinda stops my brain from functioning properly if you know what I mean."

"I suppose so." Said Neji.

Naruto was guessing the genius Hyuuga didn`t. "Then again, I`m guessing you don`t get that kind of thing. You always seem sharp. But hey, you know me, not the brightest spark."

He grinned and tapped his head. Neji smirked. "You _are_ a knucklehead, but you`re smarter than you let on."

Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment. "Haha, you think so? Thanks."

"Anyway, we gotta head off this way." Said Neji, motioning to a nearby street that stretched off in the opposite direction to Naruto`s apartment. "Will you be all right walking home alone?"

Naruto laughed. If Neji only knew that he walked to drug addicts houses alone all the time. This was nothing. "Of course. I`m not a girl and it`s not that late."

"All right. See you tomorrow, Uzumaki." Said Neji, walking away with Hinata.

"G-goodbye, Naruto." She said quickly before turning shyly away.

Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets and set his mouth grimly. He realised he`d have to be careful of Neji`s perceptiveness and be more aware of his actions.

Had he really been spaced out? If the drug was making him less sharp, he`d have to act to stay aware. Maybe it was something he`d get used to.

Naruto felt a pang in his gut. He put his hand on his stomach. What was that? He looked up and realized he was just standing alone on the dark street. He`d better get home. The city at night gave him the creeps. Still, it wasn`t like anything on the street could be worse than what he dealt with at school…with _him_. Naruto shivered as he thought about the man. The thoughts about that afternoon started swirling around in his head, and suddenly Naruto was aware that the blanket that had covered those thoughts was becoming a thin veil and gradually those feelings were returning in full force, no, even _more_ strongly. Naruto walked quickly home. He felt sick. Every second of that afternoon jumped fresh into his head as he relived it and saw it as if for the first time. It was like waking up after being drunk. All that had been foggy, he started remembering in a whole new light. Orochimaru had drugged him and forced himself on him, and Naruto had just lain there like a doll.

_Oh shit._ And he had made noises…of pleasure. Orochimaru had been whispering sick things into his ear the entire time.

Naruto stopped for a moment, leaning against the brick wall of building on the side of the street. Fuck, he`d…he`d acted like he`d been enjoying himself. The teen felt the nausea build in his stomach suddenly and he doubled over, throwing up on the sidewalk. How could he have enjoyed it? It made him feel more disgusted with himself than he ever had in his life.

Ugh, he needed to get rid of these feelings right now. Where was the blanket on his mind? The animal in his stomach began to grow, and he felt it beginning to claw at his insides, stronger than the last time. His stomach seemed to twist in pain and the hunger and thirst returned, making him feel like a dying man. Naruto broke into a run. He had to get home. He had to get some…something.

When he reached apartment block, he didn`t take the elevator, opting for the stairs and running up them as fast as he could. He dashed down the hallway. He saw a flash of red (Gaara?), but he didn`t stop for the boy in the hall, running past to his apartment door, he dashed inside and to his room. It was dark. He hadn`t even turned on the light. Naruto sank onto his bed, then quickly stood up again and started pacing around the room. He needed some. He needed it now…badly. He could already feel Orochimaru`s hands on him. He shivered. It made him nauseous again, and then dark force inside him was practically yelling at him, "I need some! I need some now!"

But he didn`t have any. Naruto raked a hand through his hair. Even if he needed some, he didn`t have any. He scratched at his arm distractedly, trying to relieve himself of the pain. Then a thought struck him.

_The trash can._

Turning on the light, Naruto dropped to his knees and overturned the trash can, letting everthing spill all over the floor. He pushed aside the papers and old ramen boxes with old noodles still stuck to the inside. There it was, the remains of that small red pill. There was a little bit of fluff on it, but Naruto just picked it off. He rubbed the pill a little and popped it in his mouth without hesitation. The fizzing sensation buzzed over his tongue and immediately he felt calmer.

He felt like…himself again. Naruto gave a sigh of relief. This was how it was supposed to be.


	22. Purgatory

**AN: **Seems I`m on a writing streak. I wrote this chapter whilst listening to _Mad World _on repeat. Man, am I in a philosophical, melancholic mood now. Sometimes I just want to walk outside and keep on walking towards the horizon until I either collapse or reach somewhere worth being. But meh, that`s me and my escapism at play. Can`t be a coward in life, right? Gotta stick it out. I`d rather face my problems head on than be that kind of coward. Oh dear, I`m getting far too cheesy. Ah well, anyway, I do recommend this chapter while listening to that song.

I think the angst in these fics is my way of giving into my negative feelings while still having hope. Naruto gives into the darkness that I can`t allow in myself. Then again, there is no real giving into darkness. It always wants more of you until you are nothing but a hollow shell. To whoever`s reading this, never give into the darkness, ok? It`s better to struggle your whole life than to think giving in will provide you some relief. It never will. Ok... my really random philosophical speech is over.

Thanks to _The Dark Crimson Blood, Shining-Dreamer, Kelly 185891, Ascendead Master, kouyo, P, sugardash, kiki2222, IWishIWasACheesecake (_that makes me happy!_) _and_ angrymegajroq_ (I love the highschool fics too. To answer your questions, yes, this is a yaoi story, albeit not much has been happening with Sasuke and Naruto. It`s a slow development, but more realistic, I think, considering all the drama. Naruto doesn`t have time to think about any possible feelings for someone. Plus he`s exceptionally dim. I should also mention, neither of the boys is aware they are gay yet. And yes, Orochimaru is having Naruto deliver drugs).

Thanks to my lovely reviewers as always for your reviews. You`ve no idea how much I appreciate them and how happy they make me. :D I wish I could give full replies to all of you, but I already blab way too much in this section.

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 21: Purgatory

_"We fear violence less than our own feelings. Personal, private, solitary pain is more terrifing than what anyone else can inflict." _  
>~Jim Morrison<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning, Naruto woke up to the merciful remaining feelings of the drug. His mind felt a little foggy again, but it didn`t matter. What did matter, was, how was he going to get more? Now that he needed it, and hell, did Naruto need it, would Orochimaru give him more?<p>

Naruto wondered about it all day at school, hardly paying attention to the day`s classes and even less to his friends talking at lunch. The aching craving grew until he could barely stand it and he finally stood up, picking up his lunch tray.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Kiba.

"To the bathroom." lied Naruto. "Plus I`ve gotta grab something from my bag before next period." Truth was, he just needed to get away, anywhere, to try and control his body. He felt like screaming and the dark animal inside him was writhing in pain.

Naruto did end up visiting the bathroom briefly. He drank some water in the hopes it would take the edge off his craving, but like last time, it only seemed to provide a moment`s relief before feeling worse. He looked at his hands. They were shaking. This drug was just too powerful. It had him going through withdrawal symptoms in a matter of hours. How could this be possible?

Naruto sighed. He just needed to last until the end of the day. Then he could talk to Orochimaru. Ugh, he never thought there would be a day when he actually wanted the end of school to come so he could meet with that creeper. The very thought made him hate himself, but he was past the point of caring.

Last period finally came. History with Mr. Ibiki. The man was his usual brusque self, but he stopped Naruto on the way out of class.

"You all right, Uzumaki? You look a bit ill today."

Was it so obvious?

Naruto grinned quickly. "I`m fine, thanks. Just a bit tired."

"Yeah well," said Mr. Ibiki awkwardly. "Just let me know if you ever have any problems."

He turned away quickly and walked down the halls.

He clearly wasn`t good at this student care stuff, but Naruto felt grateful for the offer all the same…even though it was totally useless.

He walked down the hallways towards Orochimaru`s classroom. There was no feeling left in him save for the craving. The blank faces that passed him in the hall all blended together. Empty shells walking down the corridors, not a single one of them really noticing each other, and Naruto the emptiest of them all. He was just a shell with an animal inside.

The halls were quieter now. Naruto waited till a couple of students had disappeared around the corner before entering Orochimaru`s classroom. The man was at his desk as usual, sorting through some papers. Naruto closed the door behind him with a soft click. It was hard to describe how he felt in that moment when Orochimaru looked up at him and smiled pleasantly. He felt like…a dead man walking, someone whose fate had been decided, and in that moment, he finally accepted it.

"I have a couple of packages for you to deliver today. I need you to get payment for both." said Orochimaru.

Naruto looked briefly at the addresses on the packages Orochimaru had pulled out of his drawer.

"I need some." he said quietly.

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, the smile widening. "Excuse me?"

Naruto continued to stare at the packages on the desk, unable to meet the man`s eyes.

"You heard me." he said.

"Indeed," said Orochimaru. "But I want to hear you say it clearly."

The man stood up. He touched Naruto under the chin, lifting his face up to meet his own.

"Look at me, Naruto-kun." He said.

Naruto reluctantly raised his eyes to meet the older man`s.

Orochimaru licked his lips. "Tell me what you need."

The thought passed briefly through Naruto`s mind that a couple of days ago he would never have allowed this, never have surrendered like this, but the thought was quickly drowned out by…silence. Sheer silence. A blanket of numbness descended on his mind and wrapped itself around every memory of the past, every feeling it provoked, and all that was left was here and now, here and now…and oblivion. There was only Naruto and the darkness. Everlasting darkness.

"I need some more pills." He whispered. He wasn`t sure why whispering would make the words seem less real, if anything, they made the shame of the statement all the more keen.

It was enough for Orochimaru though. "Of course." He said smoothly, as if the boy had said nothing out of the ordinary. He let go of the boy`s chin and turned to his desk, pulling out a small jar of the red pills.

Naruto could feel his longing grow just looking at it. Orochimaru poured one out on to his palm.

"Here you are."

Naruto couldn`t help wondering if there was a catch. Why would Orochimaru actually just give him something he wanted? Then again, wasn`t this what he`d wanted all along?

Naruto picked up the pill and popped it in his mouth. The fizzy sensation washed over his tongue and already the darkness began to abate slightly. He sucked hard on the pill as if afraid it would disappear before he felt better.

"You understand, of course, Naruto, that these pills are expensive to make." Said Orochimaru as he held out the jar. "I can give you these for free since you work for me, but I will no longer be able to pay you. It`s money or Bliss, but you can`t have both. I run a business not a charity. So, which will it be?"

Naruto sighed. He wasn`t in a state of bliss yet, but he took the jar of pills from Orochimaru`s hand and shoved them in his bag.

"As I thought." Said Orochimaru with a smile. "We will work well together, Naruto-kun. You`ll get what you want, and I… I`ll get what I want."

He began to unbutton Naruto`s shirt, and the boy stood there like a frozen doll. He wished the pills would kick in faster. He stared over the man`s shoulders at the window. Two birds were flying outside in the late afternoon sun, flitting and playing in the dying light. It looked so beautiful it made his heart ache, and he smiled. If this was the closest he could get to happiness, he`d take it.

* * *

><p>It was hard to describe his life after that. The days passed in a strange kind of blur. He was there, aware of what was going on. He interacted with his friends and made a conscious effort not to seem spacey, but each day`s blissful monotony was only broken up by the times when he needed to take another pill. It was like being woken by an icy bucket of cold water every time the craving took hold, and he would yearn for another pill, asking to go to the bathroom during classes when it hit, sneaking them in breaks. It felt like the times between hits would grow shorter, and he always needed more. It was a horrible kind of torture, like being on the brink of pure contentment, but never quite reaching. Brushing Heaven with his fingers, but always with the knowledge in the back of his mind that he couldn`t stay, and sooner or later would come plummeting back down to Hell. It tainted the feeling of bliss with a bitter taste.<p>

Still, Naruto didn`t even consider stopping anymore. This was all he had, and he would hang onto it till death.

It made him strangely impatient with his friends though. He didn`t need them anymore. They didn`t add to his happiness and he could feel himself drifting from them, making excuses to leave lunch early so that he could just sit in the bathrooms and think about…well…nothing. Those moments were the most peaceful, when he didn`t have to concentrate on anyone or anything, just…be.

A week went by and everyone was in the cafeteria talking about Temari`s end-of-term party. The holidays were coming soon, and finally, finally they would have some time off from school. It was still two weeks to go, but Temari was having her party early to pre-empt any Spring Break Party competition. She was a smart socialite like that. Naruto would go although he`d never met Temari. He`d seen her in the halls and Shikamaru seemed cool. After all, Naruto liked parties, right? Actually, he couldn`t remember too well anymore. He had a vague recollection of enjoying one, but it felt like another distant life, someone else`s experience.

"So what are you going to wear, Sakura?" Ino was asking excitedly.

Sakura grinned. "I was thinking to wear that red dress I got at the mall yesterday."

Ino screwed up her face. "You`re kidding, right? I told you, that dress is a fashion disaster. It totally clashes with your hair."

Sakura glared at her friend. "I don`t give a rat`s BTM what you think, Ino-pig! I like red and I`m sick of people telling me I can`t wear it just cos of my hair."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "BTM?"

Sakura blushed and looked down. "Bottom. I don`t like saying `ass`. It`s uncouth."

Ino smirked.

Naruto vaguely noted that he would have found Sakura`s statement heart-meltingly cute once. Instead he just smiled pleasantly at her. "I think red would suit you a lot, Sakura."

Sakura lifted her eyes to meet his. "You think so?"

"Don`t listen to him!" said Ino, interrupting the moment, or at least, what could`ve been a moment. "He thinks orange can be worn as a solid color without blinding people."

"It can." replied Naruto in irritation. Ino was ruining his buzz, or maybe it was just wearing off again. He could feel the darkness inside him creeping out of its cage.

"Naruto, I`m sorry to break this to you," said Ino. "But if there was a fashion police, you`d be on their most wanted list."

Naruto stood up quickly. The darkness was growing inside of him. "You know what, Ino? Why don`t you try actually saying something nice for once in your life? It might break your ugly streak. Besides everyone knows your `fashion statement` is just to turn up in a skirt that could be worn as a belt."

Everyone stared at him in shock, and Ino`s face which was always so confident, fell. She looked…hurt. Ino never looked hurt.

"Uncalled for, man." said Kiba in surprise.

"I…" said Ino, searching for words. "I`m sorry, Naruto. I was just joking around. I didn`t think you`d take it so personally."

Naruto would have felt regret if not for the fact that the only sensation inside him right now was a rapidly growing craving. The animal was clawing away at his happiness and his irritation grew. How dare Ino pull him out of his good mood?

"Naruto," said Neji quietly. "That wasn`t necessary."

Ugh! Why did Neji always feel that he could dictate what Naruto should and should not do?

"Oh yeah? Who died and made you boss?" he snapped. "Oh that`s right, nobody because you never will be, right?"

Hinata took a sharp intake of breath.

All eyes were on him and he could feel Sasuke`s in particular boring into him.

"What the fuck, Naruto?" said the dark-haired teen, glaring at him.

What? Sasuke said mean things all the time and got away with it. How come he says one tiny little thing and…

Then Naruto caught sight of tears collecting in Hinata`s eyes. She hid her face quickly when she saw him looking. He looked at Ino who, although not crying, did look somewhat on the verge of it as she stared at the table.

The realization of all he`d just said hit Naruto hard.

"Shit," he said. "I…Sorry, Neji. I didn`t mean that. I…just…" he searched for the words. "I`m not feeling well. I shouldn`t have taken it out on you." He turned to the blonde girl. "Or you, Ino."

Picking up his tray Naruto made a quick exit. He needed a pill and he needed one now. When he got to the bathrooms, he lifted his backpack onto the sinks and pulled out the jar of pills. He was going through them fast. The jar was almost empty. He`d have to get a refill from Orochimaru soon.

Naruto shook a pill out onto his hand and slipped it into his mouth. He let out a sigh of relief. If he could just stay here, in this moment, the world would be all right. He felt the darkness imprisoned again and relaxed.

Stepping out of the bathrooms he began to make his way to next period. He could sit and daydream until class started. His plan took a detour, however, as he was met by a serious-looking Uchiha.

"What was all that about?" asked Sasuke.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto, avoiding the question not-so-expertly.

"You know exactly what I mean."

"Look, it`s none of your business, Sasuke."

"Like, hell it`s not my business." He replied. "I`m your friend."

He said it so naturally, but the admission still shocked Naruto. The shock passed though, quickly covered in a blanket of calm.

"What`s going on with you? You`ve been weird for months. First you were unhappy, and yeah, I noticed. You`re not that good at fake smiles, Uzumaki, but I figured I wasn`t exactly the person you`d want to confide in. I thought you were happier lately even though you weren`t really acting like yourself, but…sometimes you just snap like a girl on her period. What gives?"

Naruto looked at the serious expression on Sasuke`s face. Was it…concern? Yet there was a strange sort of shadow in his eyes. Anger? Why was it always so hard to tell with this guy?

In that moment, Naruto wanted to blurt everything out. He wanted to just break down and cry, and pour out his soul to the guy in front of him…to his…friend. He wanted to cling to someone and just let himself break, let someone else hold the pieces together for once.

But the feeling passed almost as quickly as it was keenly felt, and Naruto simply blinked and smiled.

"I know I`ve been weird. It`s just…stress. You know, studies and work, and…"

What was it he`d heard once? The best lies contain a nugget of truth. He looked Sasuke in the eye.

"I guess my home life isn`t so great all the time, but I`m fine, really."

"Your home life isn`t so great, how?" pressed Sasuke.

Naruto shrugged. "No big deal. My guardian is just a bit of a jerk sometimes. It gets to me now and then, but I should be grateful really. He leaves me alone at least. Acts like I`m not even there. It could be worse, I guess."

Sasuke looked at him searchingly for a moment before finally letting out a sigh. "Fine, whatever. Try actually talking to someone for once instead of just lashing out at people, all right?"

"Wait." said Naruto with a mocking laugh. "You mean, Sasuke Uchiha is giving _me_ advice about opening up? Well, if that isn`t irony, I don`t know what is."

Sasuke glared at him. "I know I can be a dick to people. Hell, they even expect it from me, but I know you, Naruto. You don`t want to hurt your friends. It`s not in your nature to make people cry."

Hinata`s face flashed before his eyes. Naruto frowned. Suddenly, he hated Sasuke. He hated him for seeing past his mask, for preaching at him, for making him feel guilty. He didn`t want these feelings. He wanted bliss.

"You know nothing about me, Uchiha." He said quietly and brushed past the surprised boy. Contentment rose up quickly, washing away any negative feelings like writing in the sand. He continued his way calmly down the halls to the classroom. There was a party tonight. He was going to drink himself senseless.


	23. Reality Break

I was up till 2am writing. I really seem to have the inability to live in two worlds at once. I can`t pay attention at work anymore. It`s either reality or my stories. If I live in one, the existence of the other suffers. I wish I could be a hermitic writer and just live in storyland.

Anyways, thanks to my lovely reviewers once again. It makes me so happy that you enjoy this story (even the depressing parts). Thanks to Shining-Dreamer, kiki2222, thisismyface, Kelly185891, BruceLeeFanatic and P (sorry to frustrate and depress you all :P), IWishIWasaCheesecake (I`m glad it makes you squeal!), uchiha hinata21 (we`ll see, eh?), and I`m glad you`re enjoying it so much Ihavetoomanyships, blackfang13 and AmandaMary28. I hope I haven`t left anyone out. I read and enjoy all your reviews and comments. :)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 22: Reality Break

_"My head'll explode if I continue with this escapism." _  
>-Jess C. Scott<p>

* * *

><p>Music was pumping and the party was heaving. Naruto made his way happily through the crowd. This was great. He could get lost in the sensations, the heat, the music, the laughter. Temari sure knew how to throw a party.<p>

After hanging out for a bit, everyone had broken off into different groups. Ino and Sakura chatted in a corner, keeping Sasuke in sight as he drank from a cup moodily in the corner, batting off the odd girl who managed to pluck up enough courage to talk to him. Kiba was talking animatedly to Hinata much to Neji`s annoyance, but he was too preoccupied with Tenten to stop him. She was discussing the school newspaper rather intensely by the looks of it. Shikamaru was dancing reluctantly with Temari. Naruto was surprised he could dance. He always looked to lazy to bother. Maybe he made exceptions for her, or maybe it was because she had literally dragged him onto the living room dance floor.

Naruto drifted off. It was kind of a relief to be away from the others. They were all acting a bit tense around him since his outburst. He`d apologized but it was like they expected another crazy episode. He couldn`t be bothered with their analyzing anymore. He just wanted peace.

He grabbed a beer, grateful that the alcohol was flowing freely here He took a gulp, enjoying the fizzy bubbles flow down his throat. The fizzing sensation reminded him of the pills and he immediately felt lighter. He took another swig. This was what life was all about, he thought, as he watched the people in front of him dancing and talking, just enjoying the moment. And he, Naruto, was one of them again. No cares, just happiness. He chucked back the rest of his beer and picked up another. Already he felt lightheaded, really lightheaded. The room was moving in a strange sort of slow motion. Was his drink spiked? The thought disappeared as soon as it arrived. _It doesn`t matter_, soothed the animal inside.

* * *

><p>"Enjoying the party?" said a sultry voice next to him. Naruto was suddenly aware of the warmth of someone else`s body pressed to his side. He turned to meet the person`s dark eyes.<p>

"Sasuke?" he said in surprise, but he slurred slightly. Damn was he drunk already? How was that even possible? He really must be a lightweight.

Sasuke`smiled pleasantly. "Not quite." He said. "My name is Sai."

"Your eyes." blurted out Naruto. His train of thought disappeared for a moment. His eyes. What about his eyes?

"They look like Sasuke`s." he finished weakly.

The stranger`s smile did not waver. "I get that a lot." He pushed a dark lock of hair out of his eyes. "Then again," he admitted. "It`s usually from girls."

Naruto nodded, not having a clue what the boy was implying. He immediately regretted moving his head as it made the room spin.

Naruto felt Sai move closer. The boy touched his arm, running a finger along it. "Yours on the other hand, are unmistakeable. I have never seen eyes as blue as yours."

Naruto felt himself redden slightly. "Uh, thanks."

He glanced up to see another pair of dark eyes watching him from across the room. Sasuke quickly looked away. Naruto wasn`t sure why but this irritated him.

Sai was talking to him now. Naruto wasn`t even sure what it was about. School? Soccer? It kept fading in and out.

"…I was really impressed when I saw that shot." the boy was saying.

Naruto took a deep breath. It felt like he couldn`t breathe properly. The air was so hot. More and more people were dancing, crowding the room.

"You ok?" asked Sai.

Naruto nodded again carefully. Actually, he wasn`t. He was barely holding onto any semblance of sobriety. He looked around the room. Where the hell was he? It felt like another world, like it wasn`t even real. People were a blur of colors and blank faces. The lights were low, making everything even more disorientating and it felt like the music was coming from inside of him, the bass beating through his heart, flowing out.

Someone bumped into Naruto then, breaking him out of his strange thoughts (or lack thereof) and making him spill some of the beer he held. He fell forward, but Sai caught him, supporting him.

"S-sorry." Said Naruto. Had he spilled the drink on this guy?

"It`s ok." said Sai. "You want another drink?"

"No. It`s…I think…" Naruto tried to get a coherent sentence out, but it was so hot in here and people seemed to be moving in slow motion as they danced, yet it was so fast. Time was in a strange kind of warp.

Sai helped Naruto to stand up straight, leaning him against the wall. The blonde teen was unaware of Sai`s body being pressed closer to him than before, of Sai leaning over and placing his hand on the wall next to Naruto`s head.

He looked up to see Sai`s eyes gazing directly into his. Damn. He really would have looked like Sasuke if not for that smile. Sai was leaning his head in now. No thoughts wandered through the blonde`s foggy mind other than a vague sense of confusion.

Even that ended, however, when he felt a pair of warm lips cover his own. They were soft, really soft. Then something wet and slimy was licking over his lips. Automatically, Naruto opened his mouth, allowing it to slip into his mouth where it brushed over his tongue. It was an odd sensation. Naruto felt it, but it also became lost in all the other sensations, the beat of the music mingling with his own heartbeat, the room spinning and swaying in a strange cadence and the heat of another body pressed to his own, cutting him off from the rest of the world, the harsh reality of the outside world.

A hand moved round to grip his waist and another slid up to stroke his cheek, moving round to run through the hair at the nape of his neck. It felt…good, comforting, and Naruto was completely unaware of letting out a small moan. The drugs in his system soothed any misgivings in his mind, allowing him to become awash in pure sensation.

That is, until the comfortable warmth was suddenly ripped away from him, jolting his mind back to some form of cold reality

"Get the fuck off him, Sai." said a harsh voice, managing to be heard over the thumping bass.

Sasuke was glaring at Sai, anger clouding his intense black eyes.

Sai simply smiled calmly. "Why? He seemed to be enjoying it."

"He`s completely out of it. I know you`ll put your hands on anything with two legs and a dick, but I thought even you`d draw the line at date rape." Bit out Sasuke.

"We were just kissing, Sasuke." said Sai, leaning towards his angry-looking doppelganger. "No law against that is there? Why are you taking it so personally?"

"I`m not." replied Sasuke through gritted teeth.

Sai grinned a full-fledged grin. "Of course not." He said. "You`re just jealous I got to him first and he liked it."

"Fuck off with your perverted thoughts, Sai, before I rearrange your face." replied Sasuke, pushing him away abruptly.

Sai`s smile did not falter, but he wandered off into the crowd, presumably to find an easier target.

Naruto, meanwhile, had been completely unable to follow the exchange. He had tried to focus on the two boys lips as they talked, but it was drowned out by the music and they were moving so strangely, as if underwater. All he saw was a blur of dark hair and pale skin. Then as Sasuke turned to look at him, the anger, pure anger in coal black eyes.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the shoulders. "What the fuck are you doing, Naruto? You seriously want to get so wasted you don`t know _who_ you`re doing? I know you`re a fucking retard, but I thought you were at least a little smarter than the average teenage idiot."

Naruto was confused as hell. Where the hell was he? Why was Sasuke yelling at him?

A cold feeling of dread rushed over him. Oh fuck. Had he just been kissing Sasuke?

He felt Sasuke grab his shoulders, banging his back against the wall. What was he doing?

Naruto`s felt horror rise in his throat as Sasuke`s dark eyes morphed into a sickly yellow. The contentment Naruto had been riding on disappeared completely. In its place rose a feeling of pure panic. What the hell was this? Orochimaru was holding him. Orochimaru was here. Orochimaru was _here! _Naruto tried to breathe quickly. No, this didn`t make sense, did it?

The room seemed to morph and melt in the darkness and Naruto realized he was in the Dali painting, that Salvador Dali painting from that first day…from every day after… the painting from his nightmare reality. But it was only a nightmare, right? None of that was real, none of those horrific events were real. He lived in a happy world of contentment…so why? Everything around him was melting, his whole world, and Orochimaru was holding him against the classroom wall, his disgusting eyes watching Naruto`s expression of revulsion with such glee.

"Answer me, Naruto." Sasuke was saying. "The fuck were you thinking?"

He looked into Naruto`s unfocused blue eyes. They held panic and fear.

"Naruto…are you oka-" he began, but he didn`t get the chance to finish before being roughly shoved away. He stumbled back.

"D-don`t fucking touch me!" yelled Naruto and he ran, stumbling and knocking into people as he disappeared into the crowd.

Sasuke stared after him. What the fuck?

* * *

><p>Naruto wasn`t quite sure how he did it, but he finally arrived somewhere cool and fresh. It felt like the outside, fresh air away from those suffocating crowds, that strange melting world. Nausea rose in his throat and Naruto leaned over, vomiting onto the verge of grass that lined the concrete path surrounding the house. Things came into focus more as he breathed deeply, leaning against the wall of the house.<p>

Hs mind felt a little clearer. What the hell had that been? One minute he`d been staring at Sasuke, then it was Orochimaru standing in front of him. The feeling of contentment had been completely quelled and replaced by pure, unadulterated terror. He hadn`t even been thinking, only feeling. It had been pure fear. He looked behind him into the house where the party still continued as if nothing had happened. Naruto shivered. There was no way Orochimaru could be here.

Shaking, Naruto put his hand into his pocket and drew out the tube of pills he kept in there. He flipped open the plastic lid and poured one onto his hand, popping it into his mouth. Relief filled him as he felt the contentment fill him up once again. This was his reality, not all of that weird stuff in there. This felt so much better. He blinked hard as he felt reality sway slightly. He shook his head and walked onto the neatly cut lawn. No, it was nothing.

A few party guests were milling around, chatting in the cool, evening air in small couples and groups. It was a little chilly, but there was the unmistakeable scent of fresh, late Spring in the air and the promise of Summer to come. Naruto walked to the bottom of the garden. It was pretty big and there was even a pool. A few brave people had stripped down to their underwear to take a dip. Naruto gave the pool a wide berth. He`d never been in an outdoor pool. They`d taken swimming lessons a couple times at the public swimming pool near the children`s home. He`d hated it. The other kids had kept splashing chlorined water in his eyes, and Taiki and another boy ducked his head under the water to the point that he had been seriously afraid of drowning. He possibly would have if the coach hadn`t intervened in time. It had left him with a small fear of water. If only he could try it without anyone there maybe he could get over it, but there were people laughing and splashing. Naruto gulped. No way. He didn`t need to think about that. It would ruin his buzz.

He felt slightly dizzy, so he turned and leaned on the fence facing out onto the quiet neighborhood. It was a really nice neighborhood, the white picket sort of area. He could imagine himself living in a place like this when he was older. Orochimaru`s face flashed into his mind causing a moment of unsettle before fading away, and the sweet feeling of contentment filled him up. Man, he loved these pills. He could almost imagine a future, although right now, the future didn`t matter, nor the past, just the present, right here, right now.

"Oh, look." said a voice. "It`s the little traitor."

Naruto stood up slightly clumsily. Before him stood three familiar seniors.

"Kenta, Goro." Said Naruto dully, as way of greeting. "…uh…" He couldn`t remember the third senior`s name.

"Junichi." spat out the sandy-haired boy, clearly pissed that this lowlife couldn`t even remember his name. He broke a can off from a six-pack he was holding and opened it, taking a moody swig.

Naruto nodded. "Right."

He had some vague uneasy feeling, but it was quickly swallowed up. Meanwhile, Kenta and Goro were holding cans of beer in their hands smirking like Christmas had come early. How had they been invited to the party? Had Temari invited them? Or maybe they`d just crashed.

"What are you doing here?"

Kenta gulped down some beer before replying. "It`s a free party. Though if they let trash like you in, I`m not sure if I wanna be here anymore."

Naruto swayed slightly. He chose to ignore the insult.

"Whatever." He started to walk past them. He couldn`t be bothered with this right now. They were ruining his fresh buzz and he was feeling kind of dizzy and sick again.

But Kenta grabbed his arm as he went past.

"We`re not finished talking, Uzumaki." said the blonde senior.

"Well, I`m finished talking to you." returned Naruto. He pulled his arm out of the boy`s grip and began to make his way back up the garden, back to the crowds around the pool.

Kenta growled and followed him. He grabbed Naruto by his shoulder and jerked him round to face him.

"We`re done when I say we`re done." He hissed.

Naruto wasn`t sure why his mood changed so quickly, or even what triggered it for sure. All he knew was that he quickly saw red, anger pulsing through him. His buzz was officially ruined and the animal was ready to tear at anyone in its way. He pulled back and then launched himself at the senior, barreling into his stomach.

Taken by surprise, Kenta fell back, landing in the grass with a grunt of pain. The can rolled out of his hand, pouring beer onto the grass. Goro was behind Naruto surprisingly quickly, and grabbed Naruto`s arms in a lock. The smaller blonde struggled but was unable to break free.

Kenta got up, wiping his lip. He looked at the fresh blood transferred onto his hand and then back at Naruto angrily. His angry expression soon morphed into a cruel smile as he saw the boy`s helpless position.

"You need to learn to be more polite to party guests, Uzumaki." He said, walking up to the boy. "Look at that." he said, pointing at the spilt beer. "You owe me a beer."

He grinned. "But don`t worry, I`m feeling generous. I`ll let you have it."

He nodded to Junichi who handed him a can, snapping open the metal top. Kenta made a snorting noise in the back of his throat, then proceeded to hack up some phlegm before spitting it carefully into the beer. He passed it to Junichi, who added his own, before turning back to Naruto.

"Here, just for you, Uzumaki." said Kenta. "Our own special blend."

Naruto struggled as Kenta grabbed his jaw and brought the drink to his mouth. He kept his mouth firmly shut as Kenta tipped the liquid over his lips.

Kenta made a growl of frustration before punching Naruto hard in the stomach. He gasped and then choked as the disgusting liquid flowed down his throat. He screwed his eyes shut, partly from the pain in his stomach, partly from lack of air, and partly because some of the fizzy beer would splash up into his eyes as he coughed. Kenta held the joints of his jaw, forcing his mouth to stay open as he emptied the entire can.

"How does it taste, freak?" he said, laughing. "Here, have another." He grabbed another can from Junichi and Naruto barely got a chance to breathe in before Kenta forced him to drink the next can in the same way.

Naruto felt sick and his lungs were on fire, his head buzzing from lack of air. His throat stung as he choked only to have more beer forced down him.

He could hear Junichi and Goro`s drunken laughter ringing in his ears. Goro`s grip on him loosened slightly as the senior made the mistake of relaxing.

Naruto bent forward slightly, faking pain before swinging his head back and smashing the heavyset senior under the jaw. There was a crack and a groan of pain. Goro let go of Naruto, staggering back.

Naruto gulped in air desperately as he tried to stop himself blacking out. The combination of alcohol, no air and hitting Goro`s hard jaw with his head left him disorientated.

He felt a stinging pain and his head exploded as Junichi struck him hard across the jaw.

He threw his arms wildly in defense, catching Junichi off guard as he hit him in the eye. The senior moved back with a cry, clutching his face.

Naruto tried to focus, everything was throbbing. The entire world seemed to be throbbing. He stumbled back. There was Kenta in his vision again. He punched Naruto hard in the stomach. Naruto let out a groan, moving back, trying to get away from the source of pain, but Kenta kept advancing. He grabbed Naruto by his collar. Naruto aimed a punch at his stomach. Kenta reacted, doubling over slightly, but did not let go of Naruto. He hit Naruto again in the stomach, growling.

And things seemed to transform again, like reality was ripping at the seams. Kenta`s pale blue eyes turned a fiery red, his straight white teeth, elongating into fangs, and Naruto suddenly realized a horrific truth. He was a _monster_.

Naruto stared at him in horror as he gripped his collar, those terrifying eyes filling his vision. He struggled to be released, no longer able to fight with any sense of strategy as pure panic blinded his mind. He had to get away. He _had_ to get away!

Naruto scratched wildly at the monster`s eyes. The beast howled and punched him hard across the face. Naruto saw stars. Falling back, he lost his footing as the world fell away beneath him. For a moment, he was flying, then there was a shock of cold hitting him, and he was in that world again, the world of the painting where everything seemed to swim and melt. This time it was a world completely without air. No top nor bottom.

He panicked and flailed wildly. There was no air. His eyes stung and he felt a dull thud vibrate through the thickness as he smashed his head on something hard and unmoving. The pain exploded in his head and he felt darkness creep into his vision. The world turned black as he fell into merciful unconsciousness.


	24. Misplaced Guilt, Misplaced Hate

**AN:** Well, my poor neglected readers. It's another chapter up, and I've become the kind of writer on here that I despise, the writer that takes ages to update. Sorry to make you wait again. Life has been...well...life has been life. Anyway, I love writing and love hearing your reviews and feedback. What a lot since my last post. Thanks to _ColorlessXRainbow, Kelly185891, Babywolfchick1142, uchiha_hinata21, P, IWishIWasaCheesecake, sugardash, kiki2222, Shining-Dreamer, DrWatson636, kouyo, Rikado, TruthhLies, ImNotCrazyISwear, AnnandRachie, Shiroxcat,_ and of course the lovely_ Guests. ;) _I read each of your reviews with much happiness, and although it may not feel like it to you, they **do** motivate me to try and write and update faster.

ColorlessXRainbow ~ I'm sorry, but I don't know if things will be more detailed there. I found what I wrote hard enough to do in the first place. I would do it if I feel the situation calls for it, but I must admit, when reading and writing, I prefer implied detail rather than sheer graphicness when it comes to graphic scenes.

Shiroxcat ~ I hope I didn't make you depressed for Christmas! Thanks for the heads up on 'Inuzuka'. I`ll fix that when I have time. :)

ImNotCrazyISwear~ Thanks for your consideration. That`s so incredibly sweet. Of course, I'll keep trying not to make you all wait so long. It makes me happy to write for you too. :)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 23: Misplaced Guilt, Misplaced Hate

"_Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth_."

~Marcus Aurelius

* * *

><p>Sasuke had been trying to find Naruto among the crowds in the party, checking the bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen. He stood in the kitchen grumpily trying to think of where on earth that idiot could have gone while at the same time arguing with himself that it really wasn`t his problem…but still, his eyes. He hadn`t looked …right…so out of it…<p>

Was he…? No, there was no way. Naruto wasn`t the type. He`d obviously had way too much to drink.

People started yelling and screaming outside, and Sasuke saw people gathering at the kitchen door leading out to the garden. He pushed past them and there, of course, was the idiot getting into trouble again, fighting a bigger senior, the senior from the football match. Sasuke couldn`t remember his name. He did remember, however, that this senior liked to use dirty tactics. He sighed. Three against one was hardly fair and Naruto was scarcely hitting his targets as he swung drunkenly. Sasuke began to make his way over. Well, nobody else was doing anything.

The two blonde boys were yelling at each other almost incoherently when the senior got in a cheap shot. He got Naruto by the collar and punched him hard. Suddenly, and this took Sasuke by surprise, Naruto started screaming, pure high-pitched screaming, terror evident in his voice.

"Get away from me! Get away from me!"

_The fuck? _thought Sasuke as he quickened his pace. He was at the other end of the pool when he saw the blow to the face and Naruto was propelled back into the water with a splash.

People gasped. Some even laughed as the blonde teen fell in, but the laughs and jeers soon turned to troubled murmurs as the blonde did not resurface.

"Fucking help him!" yelled Sasuke at two girls standing in the middle of the pool. They were close. Why were they just standing there? They looked at him stupidly. He could`ve slapped them. Instead he ran along the side of the pool, threw off his jacket and jumped in.

The cold shocked him for a moment and the yells and screams of people watching became momentarily muffled as the surface closed over his head, sucking him into the underwater world. He ignored the sensations as he searched for Naruto. There he was through the dark blue-tinted waters, sunk to the bottom of the pool, but slowly floating upwards. Sasuke kicked out, swimming over to him. His shoes felt like sodden weights on his feet. He should`ve taken them off, but he didn`t have time to worry about that now. He reached Naruto`s limp body, grabbing him by the waist and pulling him to the surface. He gasped for breath as he reached it and quickly maneuvered Naruto into a position which allowed him to hold the other teen under the chin in a rescue position. He was vaguely aware of the people around the pool`s edge shouting and screaming excitedly. Carefully, but as quickly as he could, Sasuke swam to the edge of the pool where willing hands pulled both him and Naruto out. They laid Naruto flat out and Sasuke knelt down beside him.

"Get Shikamaru!" he yelled. "Get him now!"

He fixed the gawking idiots around him with a piercing glare until finally someone ran off presumably to get Shikamaru. If he didn`t Sasuke would personally hunt that messenger down and castrate him.

He turned back to Naruto, putting his ear to the boy`s mouth. It didn`t feel like he was breathing.

_Fuck!_

The fuck. Where the FUCK was Shikamaru?

Sasuke didn`t fucking know CPR. Where the _fuck_ was Shikamaru?!

He glared at the people around him accusingly. The blonde senior and his lackeys had conveniently disappeared. If Naruto died because of those assholes fucking around…

Sasuke hated this, this feeling of being out of control. Why wasn`t anyone helping? They were all just staring.

"Does anyone know fucking CPR?" he shouted. "Stop gawking and call a fucking ambulance!"

"Move aside, Sasuke." said a calm voice.

At last, Shikamaru. Sasuke moved aside gladly, letting the first aider down at Naruto`s side.

"Make room." Shikamaru ordered to the people crowding round curiously. They took a reluctant few steps back.

He checked for vitals, putting a finger to the boy`s throat and checking his breathing.

"He has a faint pulse." said Shikamaru.

Sasuke felt a small sense of relief at these words.

"But he`s not breathing."

"Can you…?" Sasuke wasn`t sure what he wanted Shikamaru to do, but something, anything.

Shikamaru nodded. He opened Naruto`s mouth and breathed into it. Naruto`s lungs expanded, but there was no response.

Sasuke clenched his fists tightly.

Shikamaru tried again. Still, no response.

"Come on, you fucking idiot." muttered Sasuke. "Breathe or I swear I will kick your retarded ass."

Shikamaru did it again. And again. Nothing.

On the fifth try, Naruto choked suddenly and sputtered. He opened his eyes, gulping in air and staring at the crowd around him.

"Sh-" he coughed, the remains of the water in his lungs spilling out. "Shikamaru? What`re you-?"

"You fell in the pool." explained Shikamaru. "You weren`t breathing."

Naruto blinked, trying to process what was going on.

"You idiot. What were you thinking?" said Sasuke.

Naruto`s blue eyes turned from confusion to indignation as he met his gaze. "What _I_ was thinking? You think I just _willingly_ tried to drown myself? It wasn`t my fault, you asshole."

"Hn." was the only reply.

Sasuke knew that, but it didn`t stop him blaming the idiot. Naruto seemed to attract trouble everywhere he went. It was exhausting.

Naruto got up unsteadily and Shikamaru helped him to his feet.

"I think you should go to a hospital, Naruto." said Shikamaru.

"No." replied Naruto quickly. "Really, I`m fine. At least, I _will_ be fine. I just need to sit down, or lie down for a bit."

"You just almost died, you moron." Said Sasuke, "You _are_ going to a hospital whether you like it or not."

"No, I`m fucking _not_, asswipe." replied Naruto heatedly. "What are they going to do for me there, huh? They`ll check me over and go…`Oh, you almost drowned, huh? Well, you didn`t and you seem to be ok, so bye!`, and then they`ll take my money. I`m not wasting my time at a hospital."

"You…" Sasuke started, searching for words that could express the depth of the stupidity with which he was now confronted. "

Shikamaru stepped between the two boys as they looked as if they were about to launch into an all-new fight. "Fine, then you`re at least staying here tonight so that I can keep an eye on you."

Naruto gave his reluctant consent. "Fine….Thanks, Shikamaru." Actually it was a small relief not to have to go home.

Sasuke wanted to strangle the idiot blonde, but instead, infuriatingly, he found himself trailing behind Shikamaru as he helped Naruto into the house and up the stairs. Naruto was whining that he didn`t need any help, but on that point Shikamaru was unrelenting and wouldn`t stop supporting the teen until the moment he dropped him onto the bed.

"Here." Said Shikamaru throwing a t-shirt and loose shorts over to Naruto. "Put these on."

"Thanks." Said Naruto. He quickly pulled off his own wet shirt and pants and pulled on the fresh warm clothes. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably.

"You should get some rest, Naruto." Said Shikamaru. "Let your body sort itself out. It`s been through a lot tonight."

Naruto sank back gratefully onto the bed. "I`m fine, really." He murmured. "I just need to relax a little."

But surrounded by the soft pillows, Naruto suddenly realized how tired he was. The world was no longer spinning as it had been earlier that night, but his limbs felt heavy and he could barely keep his eyes open or his brain functioning. Without even realizing it, he fell asleep, slipping into a world of black abyss.

Shikamaru had been watching him as he passed out. He checked his pulse briefly. It was normal. Shikamaru straightened up and turned to Sasuke who had been lingering at the doorway.

"He seems pretty out of it. Did he have a lot to drink tonight?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don`t know. I saw him down a couple beers, but I wasn`t watching him the whole time. I`m not his babysitter."

Shikamaru nodded. "I know that, but I ask since you were probably the person who watched him the most tonight."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" asked Sasuke.

"It doesn`t mean anything. I was just stating a fact." replied Shikamaru calmly. "Anyway, I think he'll be all right now. You`re welcome to stay here tonight too if you want to though."

Sasuke looked down in contempt at his still-sodden clothes. "I`m going home. I`ve had enough "fun" for one night."

He glared at Naruto, his blonde hair still wet and leaving damp marks on the pillow.

"Enjoy having_ that _in your house." He added, motioning towards the blonde teen. "Maybe he`ll manage to get through an entire night without causing havoc."

"I don't know." said Shikamaru, "It could be dangerous for him to be alone. I don`t think he has a concussion, but anyone could wander in here and find him passed out. I remember hearing Sai asking about him. Unfortunately, I have to look after the party with Temari, so I can't keep an eye on him." Shikamaru smiled at Sasuke. "Still, I`m sure he'll be fine, right?"

Shikamaru brushed past Sasuke and left the room. Sasuke stood for a few moments staring at the sleeping blonde.

"Fuck." He muttered. "Stupid Shikamaru."

Why did he always have to be the fucking responsible one?

* * *

><p>When Naruto woke up soft, gray morning light was streaming onto his bed through the window and early birds were chirping their wake-up calls.<p>

Fuck, what time was it? He moved his head groggily to look at his frog alarm clock, but it wasn`t there. In fact, instead of his usual white bedside table there was a dark, wooden one.

What the hell?

Naruto blinked blearily. He lifted his head to look at his surroundings. He was in a pale green wallpapered room with dark wood furnishings. Shit, was this Shikamaru`s house or Temari`s house?

The night`s events slowly came back to him - wandering around drunkenly, the fight, falling in the water and…waking up…then he wandered up here, right? After that he couldn`t remember anything. Great, so much for keeping up a good reputation.

Ugh, he felt so freaking ill. His head was throbbing, and his mouth and tongue felt like they were covered in a thin coat of fur and dust. His heart was beating fast like it was running on some kind of adrenaline, the thud _thud_ _**thud **_of his heartbeat made his entire chest vibrate. It did not feel good.

Naruto sat up and almost wished he hadn`t when his stomach gave a jolt and his head throbbed hard.

He tried to ignore the feeling and stood up carefully. Man alive, he needed some water and he needed it now. He felt so parched he could drink a lake dry.

Naruto made his way downstairs, holding tightly onto the banister as he took each step carefully. He couldn`t even remember where the kitchen was. A delicious smell greeted him in the hallway and Naruto followed the scent, finally arriving in the kitchen. A figure stood at the counter, tending to a steaming frying pan. He turned his head when Naruto walked in and then back to the pan in front of him.

"Sasuke?" said Naruto in surprise. "What`re you doing here?"

"I`m making pancakes." came the infuriatingly calm reply.

Naruto took a deep breath. He was not in the mood for this. It was too early and he felt like crap.

"You know exactly what I mean, asshole. I mean why are you in this fucking house?"

Sasuke continued flipping pancakes, not deigning to grace Naruto with a glance.

"Somebody had to make sure you weren`t dead. Shikamaru had to take care of party guests so I got lumped with the job."

Naruto`s anger was quickly dampened with those words. So…Sasuke had stayed to look after him?

"You always manage to cause trouble and inconvenience for people, don`t you?" added Sasuke.

Aaaand the anger was back.

"Fuck you, man! I don`t ask for any of this, so just keep your fucking comments to yourself. I didn`t ask you to stay. I was completely fine. You definitely don`t have to `inconvenience` yourself for me."

"Hn." Replied Sasuke.

Naruto gave a growl of frustration and left the kitchen. He needed to find a person who didn`t make him want to punch them in the face. Ugh, he was still thirsty. He`d forgotten to actually get a drink, but no way he was going back in there with that bastard.

He was so thankful when he wandered into the living room and found Shikamaru lounging on the sofa watching Saturday morning TV.

Naruto flopped onto the armchair nearby. "Hey Shika. Thanks for letting me stay here."

"No problem. It's not even my house. Temari's parents are away for the weekend." Said Shikamaru. He tore his eyes from the TV screen and gave Naruto a scrutinizing gaze. "How are you feeling?"

"Ok, I guess. My head hurts, my throat too, but I`m alive…thanks to you. I didn`t thank you properly yesterday. I wanted to say…Thanks, I guess." It felt strange to know Shikamaru had saved his life. Did this mean he was indebted to him? How could he even repay him?

"Actually," said Shikamaru turning back to the TV screen. "It`s Sasuke you should be thanking."

Naruto blinked. "I`m sorry? What?"

"Didn`t you know?" asked Shikamaru, sounding decidedly bored. "He jumped into the pool and pulled you out, got someone to send for me and stayed with you till you came round. That`s why he was there when you woke up."

Naruto was stunned. He sat in the armchair staring straight ahead as if he had been given an electric shock. How was this possible? Sasuke…Bastard Sasuke had saved his life?! This couldn`t be true. And he had just ranted and raved at the guy. Plus he`d stayed overnight to make sure Naruto was ok. Shit. Naruto had some apologizing to do.

Uuugh, apologizing to that bastard.

He groaned and got up from the armchair.

"Well, thanks anyway, Shika. And thanks for letting me stay here. I`m…going to get a glass of water."

"Ok." came the monotonous reply. Shikamaru gave a small smirk as the blonde left the room.

Sasuke was still cooking pancakes when Naruto returned to the kitchen. He didn`t turn round when the teen walked in. Naruto cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"You know, I didn`t know you uh, helped me out last night."

Geez why was it so easy to thank Shikamaru, but so hard to thank Sasuke?

Sasuke didn`t reply.

Oh yeah, because Sasuke was on a bastard default setting.

"I just wanted to say thank you. You saved my life and I, uh, I owe you one…big time."

"Whatever." said Sasuke. "It`s not like I`m just going to let someone die in front of me." He flipped over a pancake. "Even if you were an idiot, getting yourself into that state."

Naruto ground his teeth, and used all his willpower not to snap back.

"Yeah, well, thanks anyway and stuff."

Well…that was sufficiently awkward.

Naruto walked over to the fridge, opening the door to find some juice before realizing it wasn`t his fridge and he was potentially stealing someone`s food. Naruto closed the fridge door and grabbed a glass on the drainer, filling it with simple tap water. He looked at the back of Sasuke`s stupid head.

"Why are you making pancakes anyway? This isn`t your house."

"I figure if Shika is going to make me look after an idiot like you then I should be repaid. This is my repayment."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So you`re stealing food."

Sasuke didn`t reply.

Naruto moved a bit closer. Those pancakes looked pretty good. He craned his neck round to see into the pan.

"No, you can`t have any." said Sasuke, reading his mind as he piled the pancakes onto a plate.

"What? Why not?"

Sasuke sat down at the breakfast island in the middle of the kitchen and finally deigned to look at Naruto. "Because they`re mine."

"You have like ten! You don`t need them all." whined Naruto. "Come on, just give me one. You can spare it."

"No." said Sasuke. He picked up a knife and fork and began cutting up the steaming hot pancakes, raising the pieces delicately to his mouth.

Ugh, it made Naruto sick that Sasuke could even make eating pancakes look fancy.

"Fine. Be a jerk." Said Naruto. He sat himself moodily down at the opposite side of the breakfast bar and eyed Sasuke and his pancakes. Maybe if he sat here long enough, Sasuke would feel guilty.

Sasuke was unmoved, ignoring Naruto as he continued eating.

"You really are a heartless bastard, aren`t you?" said Naruto grumpily as he took a gulp of water.

"And you`re a retard who attracts idiots like a magnet." Replied Sasuke just as grumpily.

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean? I don`t attract idiots."

Sasuke raised a brow. "Sai? Those seniors last night? You attract trouble everywhere you go. You do realize that don`t you?"

Naruto reddened as he remember Sai. "That was…I…was drunk. Ugh." He put his head in his hands. "I can`t believe I kissed a guy."

Sasuke suddenly choked on a piece of pancake. He stood up and got a drink of water from the sink. Naruto reddened even more as he recalled that Sai wasn`t the only guy he`d kissed. Oh fuck. Was Sasuke remembering that accidental kiss in the hallway too?

Sasuke cleared his throat, remaining at the sink.

"And what about those seniors? They`ve been bothering you for a while now. Why is that?"

Naruto shrugged. "They hate me."

Sasuke fixed him with a hard stare. "That much is obvious. But why do they hate you? Almost everyone hated you when you first came to this school, once they knew your name. Most still do. The teachers, the principal, the students. Why is that, Uzumaki?"

Naruto felt uncomfortable under the intense gaze. He picked at an imaginary spot on the counter`s surface.

"Well, you know my name too, so you know the story and all."

Sasuke picked up the last few pieces of pancake and cleared his plate away, taking it back to the sink and running it under hot water, filling up the basin.

"I know hearsay and rumors. I know that people hate your parents, that they were some kind of criminals, but I don`t know the details. Some people say they were murderers. Some say they were traitors. When I was younger, the adults treated it like a scandalous secret, so I don`t have much to go on except what people at school say, and I know well enough how twisted gossip gets along the way."

Sasuke shut off the faucet and turned to look at Naruto.

"I want to know what really happened then. Who better to ask than you?"

Naruto took a sip of water, avoiding Sasuke`s gaze. "Why do you want to know?"

"It interests me." came the simple reply.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "I, uh…" He felt a nervous itch in his hand. Man, it`d be nice to feel calm. He suddenly realized he hadn`t thought about the drug till now, but he suddenly wanted it. It would make him feel better, calmer. Why was it bothering him to have Sasuke ask anyway?

…Maybe it was because this was the first time anyone had ever asked him directly to his face. Usually they just hated him…but ask him what happened? It felt…weird.

"Well?" said Sasuke. He was watching Naruto. Fuck. What did it matter if he told him? He was used to being hated anyway.

"Ok, you wanna know?" Naruto sighed and began his story.

"My parents were heads of an undercover police unit sent to bring down the Akatsuki mafia. The mafia had their fingers in everything then, every business, every home. Everyone was afraid. But they decided to fight back. The police force created the unit to go undercover and expose the mafia for once and for all, in particular, their boss, who went under the code name, Kyuubi."

Naruto took a swig of water and continued. "They persuaded people to become informants, witnesses in exchange for anonymity and police protection. But…"

Naruto paused uncomfortably. Sasuke said nothing waiting patiently for him to carry on.

"But…then right when they had gathered enough evidence, enough people willing to stand up to Kyuubi…my parents betrayed everyone. They gave Kyuubi the names of every man, woman and child that had testified against him and his organization. That`s when the mafia raids started. No one was safe. They killed the informants, along with many of their families. Barely a single witness was left alive. Hundreds of people died in Konoha."

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, pain and guilt evident in his eyes. "Everyone knows at least one person who died in Konoha. In the home I grew up in, a lot of the kids lost their parents because of mine. That`s why they hate my parents. In the end, they betrayed everyone who relied on them."

Sasuke let out a long breath. "Wow."

"Yeah." Agreed Naruto.

"Well, that explains a lot about why they hate your parents, but why do they hate you?"

Naruto smiled sadly, his eyes cast down onto the surface of the breakfast bar in front of him. "Because…they betrayed everyone to save me."

Sasuke didn`t say anything as Naruto briefly looked up at him as if to check he wasn`t running away at this revelation.

Naruto swallowed and continued. "I…uh…I don`t remember much. It was a normal night for me, the day they betrayed everyone. Me and my parents had been staying at a safe house just in case, but apparently, the person taking care of me was in the mafia`s pocket. When they were on operation, Kyuubi threatened to have me killed unless they gave him the list of informants." Naruto clenched his hands so tightly, his nails digging into his palms. "And they did. Everyone who died, died because of me…because my parents thought my life was more important than the hundreds of people out there. And the worst thing is, I can`t really hate them for it because they did it for me…but ….I wish they hadn`t."

He looked up at Sasuke with a haunted look. Sasuke just stared back at him, the silence seeming to draw on forever.

"Say something at least…" said Naruto quietly. "You hate me now too, don`t you."

Sasuke grabbed his dishes from the island and put them in the sink, running water over them. "I think you`re a complete moron, but I don`t hate you for something like that. That would be stupid, and I`m not stupid."

Naruto frowned. "What?"

Sasuke sighed and shut off the faucet, turning round to face Naruto. He leaned back against the sink. "Why would I hate you for something you had no control over. It`s dumb. I knew the people in Konoha were stupid, but not this stupid."

"They have a right to hate me." Countered Naruto, "I killed their families."

"No." said Sasuke abruptly. "The mafia did and you`re as much of an idiot for not realizing that as they are."

Naruto frowned. "Of course I realize it. They need someone to blame. It`s just…you can`t imagine what it`s like, the guilt, knowing that if I hadn`t been born, everyone would still be alive."

"They'd have found another way, Naruto." Said Sasuke

Naruto met his gaze directly. "Would they?"

There was silence for a while, each boy lost in their own thoughts until finally Naruto spoke up.

"What about you?" he said, "What`s your story?"

Sasuke`s face darkened and he shrugged.

"You already know it, I`m guessing."

"No, I`ve heard stuff from other people, like you heard about me, I guess, but stuff gets twisted along the way. I should know. Some kids think me and my parents went out and personally murdered people on a happy family killing spree. So," Naruto raised a brow. "What really happened?"

"It doesn`t matter." Muttered Sasuke turning back to clean a bowl sunk in the soapy water.

"I just told you everything!" exclaimed Naruto.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, doesn`t mean I have to return the favor."

"Ugh! You`re such a stubborn…" Naruto struggled for the words. "Ass!" He said finally.

"What difference does it make if you tell me anyway?" he asked.

"It doesn't." replied Sasuke in irritation.

"Then fucking tell me!"

"Fine!" snapped Sasuke, "You really want to know?"

"Well, that`s why I`m asking, bastard."

Sasuke turned round abruptly and started washing his plate, scrubbing it in circular motions, over and over. His voice dropped to a dull monotone as if he`d recited the story a thousand times.

"I was coming home from school. Just another normal day like it was for you."

He gave a soft, bitter laugh.

"Another normal day. I had no idea when I got home. I remember it was quiet though, too quiet and I should`ve realized straight away."

Sasuke stopped washing for a moment and gripped the plate tightly.

"I don`t remember it too well. I called for my parents and then I walked into the living room. That`s when I saw their bodies. My mom was lying on the couch. My dad sat in his armchair, his throat slit. If it wasn`t for the blood you`d have thought they were sleeping, and, for one brief moment…I actually thought they were, or that they were just playing a joke on me. When I realized….well, I noticed my brother. He was standing in the corner of the room, just watching me."

Sasuke turned his head to look at Naruto. "Can you believe I actually looked for comfort from that fucker?"

Sasuke turned back to the sink and continued washing. "I ran up and hugged him, screaming that someone had killed our parents and he just…stood there completely emotionless. It wasn`t until I pulled away that I noticed my shirt had blood on it. It was then I noticed the kitchen knife in his hands and the blood on his shirt. I remember asking him what he`d done."

Sasuke finally stopped scrubbing at the plate and put it aside into the dish rack. He stared out the window.

"Turns out my brother had been working for Akatsuki the whole time. He`d gotten addicted to their drugs, getting deeper and deeper into the organization. Then when he found out my parents were informants he was ordered to kill them, so he did."

Sasuke shook his head. "He killed his own parents, destroyed our family for a bunch of fucking drugs. He could`ve killed me too if the police hadn`t arrived. He got scared off by the sirens and left me alive saying I wasn`t worth the trouble. I don`t remember much after that. Apparently, the police came and took me to the hospital, but all I remember is waking up in a white room."

Naruto swallowed. The guilt felt like a burning black hole, crushing his insides. "You…" he hesitated. "Your parents died because of mine."

Sasuke shook his head slowly before sighing, "No, they died because of my brother and the Akatsuki."

He finally turned to face Naruto.

"You need to remember that. I spent years blaming myself for not seeing it sooner, for not realizing, for not saving them, but in the end, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't my fault." Sasuke gritted his teeth and his expression turned hard. "It was _their_ fault, and I _am_ going to get my revenge one way or another."


	25. Who Said Age Brings Wisdom?

**AN: **I have been working on the next chapter, so it will be up soon. You won't have to wait long! I know this fic is extraordinarily angst-ridden, but don't say I didn't warn you at the beginning. ;)

Thank you to _ uchiha hinata21, shining-dreamer, Frecklefreak, Shiroxcat, 940427, TruthhLies, ColorlessXRainbow, P, IWishIWasACheesecake, sugardash, happysue115, elveljung _and _ kouyo_ for your comments and reviews. Always much appreciated! :D I love reading each one.

I just found out that I can reply to separate reviews on my stories. Never realised that (talk about not being tech savvy)! So, yeah, I may respond to some reviews from now on instead of answering questions here and taking up people's precious reading time. :)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 24: Who Said Age Brings Wisdom?

_"To show resentment at a reproach is to acknowledge that one may have deserved it."_  
>~Tactus<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto wasn't sure why he expected things to be better after that day. It was just that after talking to Sasuke he felt somehow lighter. Unfortunately, it didn't stop his cravings. They were as strong as ever, and as soon as he got home from Shikamaru's, he popped a pill, and man, did it feel good. It didn't quite erase the feelings of guilt, but it dampened them sufficiently while Naruto did his homework in a daze. He spent most of the weekend just sitting in his room and eating the odd packet of ramen. One good thing about this pill was it made him less hungry. He wasn't losing too much noticeable weight yet. When school came around the next day, Naruto was feeling decidedly positive. It felt good to know there was someone vaguely on his side, waiting in that ugly, gray building.<p>

Still, when he met Sasuke at his locker that morning, he couldn't quite quash the feelings of guilt creeping in. The pills in his bag felt like a flaming beacon. Did Sasuke know? Did he suspect? He would hate Naruto if he knew. He could never find out.

Naruto swallowed and forced a grin, "Hey, Sasuke."

"Hn." Was the grunt of a reply.

That was normal, right? Yeah, this was all normal. In fact, the whole day passed in a painstakingly normal way, and Naruto was putting on his finest acting performance to date, even laughing and joking with his friends like he used to. Shikamaru joined them for lunch to see how he was doing. Everyone was…normal. As soon as Naruto started feeling the drug wearing off, he slipped away to sneak another. And things continued to be…fucking normal.

The end of the day rolled around and Naruto begrudgingly left the safe comfort of talking with his friends at the lockers for his daily trudge towards his usual meeting place with Orochimaru. If he could just have this life without Orochimaru in the picture, things would be perfect. There was the detestable man as usual. He smiled as Naruto entered, a fake smile on that sickly white porcelain face, so different from Sasuke's alabaster. However, he was not sitting at his desk as usual, but talking to another figure. Kabuto also smiled as Naruto entered. He would have looked welcoming, but for the fact that the smile did not reach his eyes, a coldness that Naruto could now see all too clearly.

"What's he doing here?" asked Naruto, nodding at Kabuto.

Kabuto's smile did not falter. "I'm a medical student. Orochimaru was helping me with my thesis." His acting skills were truly impeccable. If Naruto was a stranger, he would have fully believed him.

"Funny." He said, deadpan. "What are you really doing here?"

Orochimaru's expression turned serious. "You'd be smart to remember that neither of us answer to you, Naruto. You are not paid to ask questions."

_I'm not paid at all_, _you disgusting old pervert_, thought Naruto seethingly, but he bit his lip.

Orochimaru picked up a large parcel on his desk. It was big, about two feet wide and one foot high, but it was light when Naruto took it in his hands.

"You'll take this to Apartment 213. He lives in your building. He will be supplying that area from now on." Orochimaru's smile returned. "It seems business is expanding."

Naruto felt sorry for the fresh new sods that had been dragged into this druggy mess. He stood for a moment, holding the parcel. Was he supposed to wait? Orochimaru usually wanted to…

"You may go, Naruto. That is all I need you for today." Said Orochimaru.

Naruto swallowed and nodded, making a hasty exit and almost dropping the box in his rush to leave before Orochimaru changed his mind. The door closed behind him with a soft click, and he breathed a small sigh of relief before walking do the halls and leaving the two men to continue their talk.

"So, tell me the latest results, Kabuto. How are the subjects faring?" asked Orochimaru.

Kabuto smiled. "Exactly as predicted, sir. They are all in different periods of withdrawal. The withdrawal symptoms are excruciating, but our longest living test subject is currently at the three month mark and still showing signs of drug addiction as strongly as the first day."

Kabuto's eyes flashed behind his thick glasses. "It seems we have succeeded in creating the ultimate drug. It's a habit literally impossible to break."

"Perfect." said Orochimaru. "Now we simply need to work on Phase 2. At this rate we shall be more powerful than the Akatsuki ever were. I'll have a city of people willing to grant my every wish for a brief taste of heaven."

Kabuto nodded. "And you'll be able to achieve your final goal, Mr. Orochimaru.

"Yes." Said Orochimaru. He picked up a small jar of the red pills sitting on his desk. "Isn't it amazing how powerful one tiny tablet can be?"

* * *

><p>Naruto stepped hastily out of the elevator into the dim hallway. The elevator doors had an annoying habit of closing too quickly on people as they tried to leave. They shut behind him with a ping and made a whirring noise as it travelled away to another floor.<p>

Naruto took a deep breath and walked along the threadbare carpet. He had been so relieved at getting off scott-free from Orochimaru it hadn't occurred to him his destination until halfway home when he checked the address.

He knocked at the faded, gray apartment door. It swung open and there stood Gaara's father, or rather, according to the address on the parcel, Mr. Sabaku. He looked as thrilled to see Naruto as the first time they had met.

"Oh, it's you." He said. "Brought my stuff, have you?"

Naruto simply glanced down at the huge box in his arms and back up at the man. Did he really need to answer that?

"Come in. Put it on the table." Said the man.

Yeah, because Naruto really wanted to enter this house after what had happened last time. Still, it wasn't like he had much choice. Sabaku was a supplier now, which meant more authority in Orochimaru's ridiculous hierarchy. He walked in a put the box on the table, glancing around the apartment for Gaara. There was no sign of life. Sabaku quickly tore open the box. His greedy eyes shone as he saw the stacks and stacks of jarred pills inside. His expression changed to a scowl as he became aware of Naruto watching him. He closed the box.

"I'll be supplying you from now, which means you come to me when you need a fresh supply.

_Oh joy,_ thought Naruto.

Sabaku glowered at the rebellious expression on the teens face.

"You'd better show me some respect from now on, Uzumaki. Cross me and you'll suffer more than losing your precious little pills. Understood?"

When Naruto didn't reply, Sabaku took a threatening step forward.

"I asked you a question." He said, and then emphasizing each word repeated, "Is. That. under. stood?"

Naruto glared dead ahead, not looking in the man's eyes. "Understood."

Sabaku relaxed slightly. "You will also stop hanging out with my son."

Naruto looked up sharply.

"I don't know what lies you've been feeding my boy, but they'll stop." continued Sabaku. "He's been staying out more and more lately. I don't like it, and I know you have something to do with it."

Was this man insane? Naruto couldn't resist opening his big mouth.

"You do know he stays out because he's avoiding you right? I'd do the same if I had to live with you."

Naruto dodged the hand that came flying toward him, but he didn't manage to avoid the second which caught him a stinging blow on the side of his head.

"What the fuck did I just say about respect?" said Sabaku. "You're poisoning my son with your fucking backtalk."

"He needs a friend!" shouted Naruto, backing up as the man advanced. "You're the one who's poisoning him. He's too scared to even speak, and I don't fucking blame him!"

Sabaku snapped. He grabbed Naruto by the collar and pushed him until Naruto's back hit a wooden bookcase, the shelves digging into his spine.

It rattled from the force and Naruto felt some objects fall past him and smash to the ground.

"Don't you EVER fucking talk back to me!" shouted Sabaku, slamming him against the book case again and again, making it rattle each time. "You think a little punk like you can just come in here and give me a lecture on MY parenting skills?" He moved his hands from Naruto's collar to his throat, and tightened his grip causing the boy to choke. He sneered. "I should break your neck right now."

Naruto let out a strangled laugh. "G-go ahead. I dare you."

He was sick of this. Sick of everyone hurting him. Sick of all the manipulation, the blackmail the lies. Hell, it would be a relief.

Sabaku glared at him angrily, the desire to kill coursing through him. His green eyes reminded Naruto of the Incredible Hulk, completely overtaken by anger. Eventually, however, the man took control of himself. He loosened his grip on Naruto and took a step back.

"I'm no fool." He said, breathing shallowly and wiped at his mouth where some spittle had gathered like foam. "I know better than to mess with Orochimaru's things."

Naruto let out a sigh whether of relief or disappointment he wasn't sure. He reached up to massage his bruised throat.

"Still," said Sabaku, "Don't think that I'm just going to forget." He touched the box on the table. "I have your drugs now, boy, which means if you ever want them again, you do as I say, and that means you stay away from my son."

Naruto glared at the man and the box. Before he could reply, however, the door to the apartment opened. In walked the very subject of their conversation.

Gaara looked at his father first, nervous fear evident in his eyes, and then noticed Naruto. When he spotted the box on the table, you could see the pieces being put together in his mind. The look he gave Naruto made the teen almost wish his father _had_ choked him.

It was beyond disappointment. It was betrayal. But Naruto didn't have time to say anything before Gaara rushed over to him…and then past him.

The small boy gave out a strangled cry as he picked up a broken picture frame on the floor. In the picture was a family. Sabaku looked younger, almost happy with a grim smile. Standing next to him was a woman, her face had been cut by the shattered glass, pulling it into two pieces, so that the photo was destroyed. Was this Gaara's mother? Gaara pulled the photo out of the frame and clutched the torn paper to his chest.

"Gaara." Whispered Naruto. "I'm, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." The boy didn't turn to look at him, hiding his face as he held tightly to the photo.

"Good riddance to it." Hissed Sabaku. "I was sick of looking at that face anyway. May she rot in hell, and may you both follow. Now get out of my house, Uzumaki."

Naruto glared at the man. "This isn't over."

Gaara's father smiled for the first time. It was an unpleasant sadistic grin. "Oh, you can rely on that, boy."

Naruto opened the apartment door and walked quickly down the hallway. Hopefully Gaara would be ok. His father wasn't angry at him at least, so maybe he'd leave him alone. Naruto gripped his fists tightly. He hated having to leave that kind of situation.

He'd made it down to his own floor and had his fingers on the handle of the apartment door when he felt a tug at his shirt.

_Gaara._

Naruto knelt down quickly. "You ok?"

Gaara just stared back. He was still holding the photo closely to himself.

"I'm sorry, Gaara. I didn't mean for something precious of yours to get broken."

Gaara said nothing…as usual, but his green eyes didn't show anger, so unlike those of his father's despite being the same colour.

Naruto swallowed. "Won't, uh, won't your dad be angry that you came down here?"

Gaara shrugged.

"I..don't want to get you into more trouble you know." Naruto raked his hand through his hair. "I don't get what his problem is anyway. He shouldn't be allowed to treat you like that. By all rights, he should be in jail." Naruto gritted his teeth. "I would put him there if I could."

Gaara shook his head.

He put the torn corner of the photo into his pocket and showed Naruto the picture. The face of his mother was now only a smile. It would have looked carefree were it not for the fact the other half of her head was missing. Gaara pointed at his mum and then at himself.

Naruto frowned. "I don't understand."

Gaara pointed again at his mum, his brow creasing in frustration and then at himself.

"Gaara," began Naruto. "I don't…"

"My fault." whispered Gaara. His quiet voice was hoarse from not being used, but the words were clear. It took Naruto a few moments to understand the meaning as he looked at the photo again and back at Gaara.

"What? What do you mean? What's your fault?"

Gaara looked down, small tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes.

"My fault." He whispered again.

"Your fault?" Repeated Naruto. "Did she…did she die?"

Gaara nodded and some tears dropped down his cheeks. He put his hand up and scrubbed his eyes quickly. "I was born." he whispered. "She died. My fault."

"Oh." Said Naruto. The realization weighed down on him heavily.

He put his hands on Gaara's shoulders.

"Gaara, look at me."

The small boy lifted his eyes up to meet Naruto's.

"There is no way you could have controlled any of that. Your mother chose to have you because she loved you. Her death is not your fault."

Gaara looked away.

"No, Gaara, look at me." Said Naruto again. Gaara did so reluctantly. "You were a baby. No matter what your dad says to you, remember what I tell you right now. It wasn't your fault."

And as he said those words with such conviction, Naruto felt a weight lift from his own shoulders. Maybe, despite what everyone had told him about the deaths of Konoha, it hadn't been his fault either. He'd always known it…but never…felt it.

"Believe me," he continued, "I know a thing or two about guilt, and there is no point in beating yourself up over something that you had no control over. I bet your mom was so happy she could have you. She would have done anything to keep you alive. That's all a good mom wants." He smiled and stood up. "I bet she'd be proud of you, Red."

Gaara looked up at him and sniffed.

"How about we go get some ice cream, you and me. I think you need some." Said Naruto. "Wait here."

He ran inside to his room. Shunsuke was nowhere to be seen, thank goodness. He dove under his bed. He counted the wooden slats, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. That was it. He felt in the crevice between the slat and his mattress and pulled out a wad of money. His savings from when Orochimaru had paid him. He had made 160 dollars in that short time. It was already down to 100 what with the arcade and food shopping. He'd have to start saving or find a way to make more in time, but right now that wasn't his priority.

He ran out to meet Gaara at the door with a smile on his face, but the little boy was gone. All that greeted him was an empty hallway. Naruto sighed, still holding the money.

"I guess he wanted to be alone." He muttered to himself.

He couldn't blame the kid. Naruto had just been supplying his father with drugs. Who knew what he thought of him now? The teen went back inside, slamming the gray, apartment door behind him.


	26. The Strength of Shadows

AN: A word of warning, this chapter is utterly depressing. Even as the author I found it depressing and hard to write.

Thank you to _IWishIWasaCheesecake, Shining-Dreamer, uchiha-hinata21, happysue115_ and _elveljung_ for your returning reviews! And also to _dragonfire04, ndsanders89, Belle-kurama-style-bankai_ for your new reviews and comments. :) I've written a lot of the next few chapters so new updates should come soon.

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 25: The Strength of Shadows

Panic is a sudden desertion of us, and a going over to the enemy of our imagination.

~Christian Nestell Bovee

* * *

><p>The next day and Naruto stood in the bathroom stall, rifling anxiously through his bag. They had to be here. They <em>had <em>to be. He gave a sigh of relief as his hand closed around the familiar plastic jar and pulled it out.

It was empty.

In that moment, Naruto's world seemed to shatter and reality swayed. He stumbled back against the thin cubicle wall and stared ahead of him in shock. They couldn't be finished. They couldn't. He needed more.

That blackness that had been lurking in the corners of his soul began to creep out, filling his mind, filling his body until he felt like he was going to explode. Naruto breathed deeply, trying to concentrate. It was ok. He was ok. He just needed to get to Orochimaru. He had to ask for some more. That was all. He checked his watch. Orochimaru would still be at lunch. He just had to make it through a few more periods and he could get some. Just a few more periods. Naruto took a deep breath and tried to force back the darkness, but already the animal felt like it was tearing at his insides, climbing up his chest and compressing his lungs. He wiped at his forehead. It was cold and sweaty. He hadn't used since this morning. Just a few more hours. He could make it through that.

Naruto shoved the plastic jar back in his bag and made his way to class, his eyes flicking back and forth at everyone milling past. Some gave him funny looks, but it was only because they couldn't see the shadows dancing in the corners of the ceiling.

_They're not real_, he reminded himself.

Naruto was screaming inwardly by the time he got to the last period of the day. The seconds were crawling past, each tick of the clock as loud and jarring as if it was reverberating inside him.

As soon as the bell rang, Naruto stood up, grabbed his bag and rushed past Mr. Iruka, who was still talking, and stared at him in surprise.

He didn't stop until he reached Orochimaru's classroom. Students were still leaving and Orochimaru looked at him reproachfully as the room emptied, but Naruto was past caring.

He waited until the last student was safely out of sight before he said, "I need some."

Orochimaru looked puzzled for only the briefest moment before his face cleared. "Sabaku is not supplying you?" It sounded more of a statement rather than a question.

Naruto shook his head.

Orochimaru quickly checked no one was listening outside in the hallway and closed the classroom door.

He turned to Naruto. "Why not?"

Naruto scratched at his arm. Was it really important? He just needed some of his supply. "We disagreed about something." He said, avoiding the question.

"Is he asking you to do him any…favors?" asked Orochimaru.

Naruto glared at the floor and shook his head.

"Good." said Orochimaru, touching the boy's shoulder lightly. "If he were to, you should tell me. He is not in a position to ask for that, and I would punish him accordingly."

Was that supposed to make Naruto feel better?

"However," continued Orochimaru, "You would do well to stay on his good side. He is your supplier after all."

Naruto flinched as Orochimaru dusted off some imaginary dirt on his shirt.

He swallowed. "He wants me to stop hanging out with his son."

Orochimaru paused, thinking for a moment. "That doesn't sound like an unreasonable request."

"His son is only about four or five. Mr. Sabaku beats him. I'm his only friend." said Naruto. He looked at the man before him. Surely Orochimaru had _some_ heart. "Can't you just supply me instead? It's no skin off your back."

Orochimaru smiled and took Naruto's chin in his cool, pale hand. "Naruto-kun, I am not interested in your little spats. Sabaku is supplying your area now, and unless you want to know what happens if you cause trouble in my organization, you will do as he asks." He paused, and then added, "As long as it is not unreasonable."

He lowered his hand, undoing Naruto's top shirt button, drifting down to the next.

Naruto began to shake and he took a step back. He couldn't do this, not without the drug, not now. The shadows were already all around him, creeping up on his back, watching him, choking him, and every bad feeling that had been repressed by the drug for so long had grown into one great black hole inside of him.

"Orochimaru," said Naruto, cringing under the touch. "Please, just one first. Before we start, I just need one."

Orochimaru smiled, but said nothing, only bending forward and pushing his hand through the teen's blonde hair, gripping it to stop him from moving back.

"Don't ask me again, Naruto-kun."

His cold smile promised pain, and Naruto's felt fear come upon him in waves. It felt wild, like an entity unto itself, and that only compounded the terror.

Orochimaru grabbed his arms, and Naruto cried out as he was turned around and pushed against a desk.

He clung to it and screwed his eyes shut. He could feel Orochimaru's hands undoing his belt. He had to get in control. What _was_ this? What the _fuck_ was this? It was like the darkness was causing him physical pain, taking over his rationality, everything. Every terror, every nightmare, the guilt, the depression, it was all terrifyingly real. There were voices in his head, laughing, jeering, enjoying his anguish.

Orochimaru heard a whine escape the boy's mouth. Naruto was hyperventilating. He stopped pulling at the belt for a moment.

"You are probably wondering what it is going on."

Naruto said nothing. He clung to the desk and bit down hard on his hand. The pain was like a light in the darkness, and so he continued to bite, staying that way as Orochimaru continued.

"That is you in withdrawal from the drug. It works as an inhibitor by disconnecting your emotions from the rational part of your mind. Those neural pathways have been destroyed from lack of use."

Orochimaru put his arms back around Naruto's waist as he talked, undoing Naruto's belt, pulling down his pants and boxers.

"Now your mind doesn't know how to handle or rationalize your emotions."

Orochimaru positioned himself. Naruto could feel him, but he couldn't move at all, paralyzed by fear. He couldn't breathe, his hands clinging to the wood in front of him in a death grip.

"Your emotions are like a newborn baby's now," continued Orochimaru, "Utterly swallowing you up. Your mind cannot even comprehend what they are. It has no idea how to interpret them. This often results in panic attacks as you can see. The pain in your chest isn't real nor are the emotions of terror or nausea, but it feels like you are about to die, doesn't it?"

Naruto was sure he was going to be sick. The fear was creating a strong nausea. He was having some kind of heart attack.

"Just one…please." He managed to whisper. It had been the mantra going around in his head the whole time Orochimaru had been speaking, and he wasn't even aware he had voiced it until the man reproached him, "I told you not to ask me again. Now this will have to hurt just a bit more."

Orochimaru gripped Naruto's hips and drove himself forward, entering as the boy screamed in pain. His mouth was quickly covered by the man's hand, and kept covered as he continued his assault, his grunting only slightly louder than the teen's muffled cries.

It didn't matter. There was no one outside in the halls to hear, and Orochimaru was able to continue until he got his satisfaction from the smaller figure, finishing up and leaving Naruto strewn across the desk bleeding and crying, as he left the empty classroom.

* * *

><p>It was dark outside, and even darker in the apartment hallways Naruto found as he managed to hobble his way home. He stopped regularly to rest, hoping it would ease the pain. It never did, but he always managed to pull himself up and continue until he reached his own apartment complex. Rather than going to his own floor, however, he went a few floors above. The promise of bliss and forgetting awaited him. Naruto knocked sharply at the now familiar door. No answer.<p>

He ran a hand through his hair, almost pulling some out, and knocked again, this time harder, using his whole fist to bang at the offensive wood.

"Fucking open." He muttered at the door.

His body ached. His mind was filled with echoes of pain and Orochimaru's ugly, sneering face. It felt like his brain was swelling up to the point that it was breaking open his skull, and his stomach was in knots, churning and twisting. His lungs were compressed, like someone was squeezing them in a wringer, and he could barely breathe despite the oxygen going in and out so easily.

He raised his hand to knock again when the door swung open. Sabaku stood there, smirking when he saw the teen in front of him.

"Come in." he said.

Naruto entered, limping past the man into the apartment.

"Give me my supply." He said abruptly.

Sabaku shut the door.

"I'll think about it when you learn some manners."

Naruto scowled, but he ground out, "_Please_ can I have my supply."

"You remember the conditions?" asked Sabaku. He opened a simple looking cupboard set in a large wooden sideboard and pulled out a small jar of pills. He turned to face Naruto awaiting his response.

Naruto just nodded.

Sabaku walked up to him, holding the jar at his side just out of reach.

"You will have no more contact with my son."

Naruto ground his teeth together hard. Fuck, they were so close, so near. He just had to agree and he could have them and feel normal again, feel ok. He could forget, and the world would be right once more. The shadows were taunting him even now. He licked his dry lips, and he clenched and unclenched his fists, scraping his fingernails on the fleshy palms of his hands. Naruto was sure he was going to be sick if he waited any longer, so he nodded, finally, dropping his head in defeat and staring at the ground.

He didn't look up to see the smile that he was sure would be on the man's face.

"Good boy. Here you are."

Sabaku held out the jar. Naruto reached forward and took the pills when Sabaku suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward. He looked up at the man, startled. Sabaku still had that smirk plastered firmly on his face.

"See how much simpler things are when you know your place?" he said.

Then, without warning, he grabbed a fistful of hair on the back of Naruto's head with his other hand and yanked it, forcing Naruto's head back. The blonde cried out and felt a mouth cover his own. Hot breath and a warm tongue forced its way in.

He choked on the saliva that formed in his mouth, trickling to the back of his throat, and willed the nausea down that threatened to overtake him. His arm was still in the man's grip and the hold he had on his hair forced him to keep his head back. He could have bitten Sabaku's tongue. He wanted to…he wanted to bite it right off so that the man could never speak to anyone again, let alone yell like he always did…but, self-protection had set in. More than anything, more than anything in the world, Naruto needed these drugs. He needed to be in control again.

Finally, Sabaku let go of him, and Naruto stumbled back, taking in gulps of air. He wiped his mouth and looked up at Sabaku in disgust, but the man wasn't looking at him. He was looking with a triumphant smile at someone else, and that's when Naruto saw. Gaara was standing at his bedroom doorway, staring in horror at what he had just witnessed. He looked first at his father and then Naruto. His eyes holding only questions and hurt.

In that moment, Naruto felt his last piece of humanity break off and wither away. Sick shame flooded through him. He took a few stumbling steps back before yanking open the apartment door and running down the hallway as fast as his weak legs could carry him, ignoring the pain that shot through him with every step. He didn't stop until he reached his own door and doubled over, trying to catch his breath. His body felt so sore, so tired. He looked at the jar in his hands. He just needed to take one, then he could forget, just forget.

But as Naruto began to turn the handle to his own apartment door, he became aware of another presence padding softly up the hall towards him. He turned and saw Gaara. The boy was holding his teddy bear just like the first day they had met.

"Red." Said Naruto hoarsely. He cleared his throat. "Gaara, don't come any closer."

The boy stopped.

"I'm sorry…I…" he trailed off and tried again. "You shouldn't have seen…"

He couldn't bring himself to voice what had just happened.

Gaara's eyes dropped to the jar in Naruto's hand.

Hot shame flowed through his entire being and Naruto closed his eyes. The guilt was swallowing him up.

He suddenly felt a small hand touch the one hanging at his side. He looked down at it.

"Gaara," he said. No, Gaara shouldn't be touching him, he shouldn't be anywhere near him. Naruto was unclean. Naruto was…filth. He yanked his hand away.

"Stay away from me." he said quietly. "You shouldn't be anywhere near me. Go home."

Gaara didn't move.

"Go home." said Naruto more firmly. "Didn't you hear your dad? You and me can't hang out anymore. If you stick around here it'll be worse for both of us."

Gaara looked hesitant but didn't move.

"Go home!" shouted Naruto. The boy flinched and took a couple of steps back.

Naruto banged on the wall next to him violently. "I said, get out of here, Red! Go!"

Gaara stared at Naruto in shock for a moment before running away and out of sight.

Naruto stared down the now empty hallway.

"I didn't want things to be this way, you know." He whispered, and opened the gray door into his own dull apartment.

He went into his room, slamming the door behind him and opened the jar. The small red pills were nestled inside, beckoning him silently. Without hesitation, he picked one up and popped it in his mouth. The familiar fizzy feeling buzzed over his tongue.

He needed to forget. He needed to forget it all. This was his only home now. Naruto got under his bedcovers fully dressed and lay there. Bliss soon took over, washing away all the dark feelings, the shame, the guilt, the memories. It hid them in a small, untouched corner where Naruto no longer had to feel. He lay there, just being, just existing until he finally drifted off into a deep sleep, only the traces of shadows gnawing at the edges of his mind.


	27. The Elephant in the Room

Thanks to _uchiha-hinata21, Shining-Dreamer_ and _Guest_ for your really prompt comments/reviews. Here's another chapter for you. :D

_To Guest:_ Lol, sorry, lovely reader. I did warn of an angst fest and an angst fest it is, but don't worry. Things will progress. ...Whether it will be to yours or others liking, I'm not sure. :) I must admit, I was feeling a bit annoyed and over-angsted with the last chapter myself, but we'll see how things go.

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter_ 26:_ The Elephant in the Room

_"There'a a phrase, "the elephant in the living room", which purports to describe what it's like to live with a drug addict, an alcoholic, an abuser. People outside such relationships will sometimes ask, "How could you let such a business go on for so many years? Didn't you see the elephant in the living room?" And it's so hard for anyone living in a more normal situation to understand the answer that comes closest to the truth; "I'm sorry, but it was there when I moved in. I didn't know it was an elephant; I thought it was part of the furniture." There comes an aha-moment for some folks - the lucky ones - when they suddenly recognize the difference." _  
>~Stephen King<p>

* * *

><p>School was the usual affair the next day. The only thing off was Naruto, and everyone knew it, including him. He couldn't be bothered. He just wanted to crawl into a corner and die. Why did he even have to be here? What was the point?<p>

Nobody said anything during lunch, but Neji caught up with him on the way to class, after Naruto had made his daily 'detour' to the boy's toilets. Sasuke and Kiba followed behind as they made their way to their lockers.

"Hey, Naruto. What's up with you today?" asked Neji. He hadn't even been at lunch, but he'd noticed the blonde looking out of it in class.

Naruto didn't answer immediately. He felt…fine…content again thanks to the drug. But somehow it was like pieces of him were missing. That feeling had increased since everything that had happened yesterday. How do you explain something like that to another person?

So, Naruto did the next best thing. Naruto lied.

"I got in a big fight with my guardian last night. He was a proper dick and threw me out the house for a while."

He plastered a rueful smile on his face. "I'm fine, but I guess I'm just feeling a bit down. Not really looking forward to spring break, you know?"

Kiba fell into step with them and threw an arm around Naruto's shoulders.

"Hey, man, you know you can crash at mine anytime." He grinned. "We could play video games. You don't have to have a crappy vacation just 'cos your guardian's a prick."

Naruto grinned. "Haha, yeah, I guess you're right."

Inside there was only a hollow feeling, a black hole.

"All right." ｓaid Kiba. "Well, see you guys later. I've got to see a teacher about some maths homework. Ugh."

He hurried off down a side hall.

"You sure you're ok?" asked Neji.

Naruto dropped the smile, and changed his expression skillfully to a look that said, 'I'm having a tough time, but I'll pull through.' Man, he really was a master actor.

"I'm ok, really. Thanks for asking." He said. "Anyway, I gotta go. Gotta see a teacher about an assignment too. Lucky me."

He grinned his fake grin again and waved goodbye as he peeled off to make his way to Orochimaru's class. He'd take a detour, of course. It's not like he wanted anyone to see which teacher he was going to every day. The less people knew the better.

Neji and Sasuke continued onto their lockers. They didn't talk for a moment, awkward silence overtaking the two boys who weren't exactly friends and had never been forced to make conversation together, so Neji defaulted to the one thing they definitely had in common. Naruto.

"You think he's ok?" asked Neji.

Sasuke shrugged. "It's hard to tell, but I'd say no."

He sighed. "It's not like he's going to talk about it though, and if he doesn't there's nothing we can do."

"That's true, I suppose." agreed Neji.

Sasuke opened his locker and pulled out his bag as well as a pile of books.

Neji wandered a little further down the rows of lockers and opened his own, only taking out some papers.

"Well, uh, I've still got some articles to look over, so I guess I'll see you around." He said.

"See you." Replied Sasuke. He relaxed slightly after Neji left. It hadn't been too awkward. That was a relief. That guy didn't seem to be so bad although Sasuke got the feeling they were a little too alike to ever be actual friends.

People were still milling about the hallway, locker doors slamming, bags being slung over shoulders and the loud chatter of friends and gossipers echoing off the walls.

Sasuke made his way through the crowd with his bag and books. People parted ways for him, It seemed to be an aura he gave off. It was convenient. He finally reached the library, his one-stop shop for studying. Things were quieter here. Very few people came to the library after school for extra studying, except perhaps the odd senior. A familiar figure stood outside the entrance.

Shikamaru was leaning against the wall, casually smoking a cigarette next to a 'No Smoking' sign. Sasuke wondered how long it would be before the librarian came shrieking out of the doorway like a bat out of hell.

Shikamaru lowered the cigarette when he saw Sasuke.

"Sasuke," greeted Shikamaru, "I thought I'd find you here."

Sasuke raised a brow. "Well, congratulations, you've found me. Is there anything in particular I can help you with?"

He and Shikamaru weren't exactly friends, and Sasuke still hadn't quite forgiven him for putting Sasuke in the position of babysitter on the night of the party. The guy was too manipulative for his own good.

"I need to talk to you…" said Shikamaru. "It's about Naruto."

Sasuke sighed. He should have guessed as much. Wasn't everything was about Naruto these days? It seemed there was never a day when that boy did not cause some drama. Sasuke longed for the simpler days before that blonde trainwreck arrived.

"And that is?"

Shikamaru straightened up. His eyes flicked up and down the hallway once. It was empty.

"Are you aware he is on drugs?"

The question was so abrupt it took a moment for the words to sink in. Sasuke blinked. "I'm sorry?"

Shikamaru folded his arms. "I'm going to take that as a no."

"What makes you think he's on drugs?" asked Sasuke.

"I suspected it since the party. Alcohol shouldn't be able to have that effect on people. From what you told me, he was acting very erratically." Shikamaru sighed. "However, I couldn't be sure. I didn't see his actions firsthand, and it was possible he was just drunk."

He continued. "That's why I sat with you all at lunch the other day, to observe him, and I've been watching him a little, interacting with you all, in the corridors. He has severe mood swings, he's irritable and distracted. Most of his emotions are not genuine."

He looked Sasuke in the eye, his usually sleepy expression was alert and focused.

"Have you noticed him sneaking off regularly?"

Sasuke thought back on the last few days. Had Naruto sneaked off? He usually left after lunch…come to think of it…didn't he always go to the bathroom after lunch? And what about after classes? He always left then too. He never walked home with anyone.

Shikamaru sighed as Sasuke's eyes dawned in realisation.

"I'm surprised you never noticed. After all, didn't your brother go through the same thing?"

Sasuke bristled at the mention of Itachi. "It's not as if he ever showed any signs. Itachi never showed emotions. Besides, I was 5."

Then he frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

Shikamaru took a drag from his now almost burnt-out cigarette. "I'm not close to Naruto. It wouldn't help anyone if I interfered. Besides, I'm still not 100% sure I'm right."

"So you're saying I should interfere?" asked Sasuke grumpily.

"If any of us confront him, he'll only lie." said Shikamaru, blatantly avoiding Sasuke's question.

Sasuke shifted his heavy backpack on his shoulder. "How certain are you, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru stubbed out his cigarette on the 'No Smoking' sign behind him.

"About 90%."

Sasuke ground his teeth. "Well then, there's one easy way to find out for sure, isn't there?"

* * *

><p>AN: So Sasuke finally knows...dundundun.<p> 


	28. Confrontation

**AN: **The next chapter will be up soon, hopefully within the day. I have most of it written, so you won't have to wait long on this cliffhanger. :)

Thank you all so much again for your returning reviews and your new reviews! There's a lot now, so I can't quite mention them all here, but it is such a pleasure to read them. :)

To Shining-Dreamer: Thanks for the concern. :) Don't worry. I decided before making this fic that I wouldn't be pressured into anything. There are parts people might like and parts they won't. The last two chapters had been pre-written a few days before they were posted, and I had just been tweaking them before putting them up. The following few chapters were pre-written months ago and, again had to be tweaked. The story has evolved differently to what I expected, and has taken a lot longer to fill in the blanks than I expected. I had meant to make it much simpler and faster, but I'm a bit of a blabber, so I guess that's why everything has taken so long to set in motion. That's a weakness I'll have to work on. ;)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 27: Confrontation

_"That strong mother doesn't tell her cub, Son, stay weak so the wolves can get you. She says, Toughen up, this is reality we are living in."_

~Lauryn Hill

* * *

><p>It was the last day of school. Spring break started tomorrow, and today was a wonderful half-day. The school buzzed with the excitement of the holidays, and even the teachers weren't bothering to keep the classes under control, allowing the students to chat excitedly throughout the lesson. The homework was always piled on at the end though and met with a sea of groans.<p>

Everyone was feeling the promise of Spring, everyone except Naruto who was sunk glumly in his seat. As Iruka's class ended, the last of the day, some of the students threw their papers in the air and cheered. They grabbed their bags and made a beeline for the cafeteria. Most had to stay for lunch and one free period, which was supposed to be for researching their new assignments, planning and forming study groups, but always ended up as lazy teens hanging out, making Spring Break party plans, which, of course, was far more important than homework.

Naruto got reluctantly out of his seat. A free period just meant longer with Orochimaru, and he was trying to will time to go slower, but it insensitively marched on, closer and closer to that time. Mr. Iruka stopped him as he was leaving the classroom.

"Naruto, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Naruto frowned and nodded, watching as the other students all filed noisily out of the room and onto their carefree lunches.

Iruka smiled at him, but the smile faded as he received none in return. "Naruto, I'm a little concerned about your behaviour recently. Is everything all right with you? You seem…down."

Naruto immediately felt his defences go on high alert. He swallowed.

"Everything's fine."

Iruka did not look convinced. "Are you sure? You're very distracted in class. Is everything…all right at home?"

Naruto finally willed a smile onto his face. "Everything is fine at home."

_Just not here_, he added silently.

"Well…you know that if you ever need to talk about anything-"

Naruto interrupted him. "Thank you, Mr. Iruka. That's really nice of you. I'd, uh, I'd better get to lunch."

Iruka nodded. "Of course. Don't let me keep you, but…you know the offer always stands, ok?"

For a moment, Naruto just looked at him, imagining for a moment a life where he told Iruka, where Orochimaru got arrested and everyone was unharmed. A life where he was free.

He shook himself from the daze. "Thank you. I'll be sure to do that." He said before making a hasty exit and heading to the cafeteria.

Iruka sighed as the boy left the classroom.

* * *

><p>Everyone was in high spirits at their table, everyone except Sasuke and Neji of course, who were always the picture of calm and composure. Naruto tried to show his interest when Sakura and Ino chatted about all their Spring break plans. He had a feeling he would just be delivering more drugs. Business didn't stop just because school did.<p>

"W-what are you doing for Spring break, Naruto?" asked Hinata shyly.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. Relax, I guess. I'm going to become the ultimate slob."

Sakura screwed up her nose. "Ugh, that's nasty."

Ino grinned. "I can just imagine you draped over the sofa with a wife beater, surrounded by tubs of takeaway. I'm so not coming over to your house."

Naruto pretended to be affronted. "Hey, I'll have you know they're very decorative tubs of takeaway."

Yeah, like he would ever have any of them over at his house. Ino had pretty much described Shunsuke's daily life to a T.

Naruto took the last bites of his lunch, and stood up. "Well, I gotta go get an assignment from a teacher. I'll see you guys after free period."

"What're you doing for free period? We should hang out." Said Kiba.

"Ah, sorry, I kind of have some homework to hand in before the end of the day. I didn't get the deadline on time."

"What project?" asked Sasuke. There was something odd about his tone.

"The scientific report due for physics." Lied Naruto smoothly. "I didn't hand mine in yet."

Fuck he was glad he'd thought about this lie ahead of time. He quickly excused himself before anyone got the chance to ask more, and dumped his tray before going straight to the boy's bathroom.

* * *

><p>The bathroom was silent, only the drip of water from a leaky tap echoed off the sterile, white tiles. Naruto slammed open all the cubicle doors and checked inside. You never could be too careful.<p>

Approaching the sink, he turned on a tap and cupped his hands under the water, taking a few sips. It felt refreshing, but as usual, it didn't satisfy the hunger that was gradually building up in him. It wouldn't go away. He swallowed some more and gargled, rinsing out his mouth. Still there and Naruto began to feel that familiar desperate feeling. He wished it would stop. He wished all of this would stop, and knowing what he was going out there to face down those long school corridors and in that quiet classroom with the buzzing incandescent lights…just made the urges stronger.

_You can forget this. You can forget all of this,_ said that quiet, nagging voice.

Naruto stared at himself in the mirror. He looked tired.

Just one then. It was a special circumstance after all. Maybe he could try taking less during Spring break, but right now, this day was something he needed to forget. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he grabbed his bag and started rifling through it. Where were they?

He threw his wallet aside. The sound of the bathroom door opening went unheard. He began pulling out his books and discarding them to the floor.

"What are you doing?"

He looked up. _Sasuke._ He was watching him with a dark, unreadable expression.

"I, uh, I-" Naruto wasn't sure what to say. His mind felt slow. "I was looking for something."

Sasuke stepped closer. "What were you looking for?"

Naruto's hand was still inside the bag. He didn't dare continue searching, but his stomach was gnawing at him like a wild animal clawing up his insides. He needed those pills, had to get rid of Sasuke.

"Just uh...my homework."

Sasuke stared at him flatly.

"Isn't that your homework on the floor?" He motioned to the books and papers strewn about.

"Oh. Y-yeah, thanks. Must've thrown it out without noticing."

He bent down quickly to gather up the papers. If Sasuke wasn't going to leave, he'd get the hell out of there. He would find a quiet corridor, grab a couple pills and -

"Is this what you were looking for?"

Naruto froze. Sasuke was holding his bag and in his other hand, the jar of pills.

He looked at Sasuke, his eyes flicking from his face to the jar in his hands and back.

"That's -" he began.

"I knew it." interrupted Sasuke, his voice like scalding water. "Shikamaru was right. You're on drugs."

"No." said Naruto abruptly, and then the lie followed. "That was medicine for when I had stomach flu."

Sasuke raised a brow.

"Oh really. That was weeks ago wasn't it?"

"Well, yeah, but it - it comes back sometimes."

Great, that sounded lame even to him.

Sasuke looked at the small jar in his hands and opened the lid.

"I'm sure you can get more from the doctor then. You won't mind if I pour these out."

"No!" Naruto scrambled to his feet, tackling Sasuke as he walked over to a cubicle. The pill bottle went flying and the red tablets scattered onto the floor. Naruto knelt quickly, trying to save as many as he could from the damp toilet floor. Sasuke stood back and watched him.

"Pathetic." he said. And Naruto looked up. Sasuke's eyes were filled with disgust.

"To think I actually thought you were better than this kind of shit."

The blonde boy got up angrily, shoving the pills in his pocket.

"Fuck you, bastard. You don't know shit about my life."

Sasuke sneered. "Aw, pulling the poor orphan card? Big fucking deal. So your life is tough, doesn't mean you roll over and give in."

"And what about you, huh?" replied Naruto. His voice was low, deadly. "You think you're strong, Sasuke? You don't let anyone in, too scared to make real friends, too scared to even really live. All you care about is revenge. You're not even alive, so don't lecture me about how I fucking deal with shit!"

Sasuke didn't even flinch. "Maybe I don't always make the right choices." He glared at Naruto. "But people don't rely on me. Everyone's noticed how you're acting. You think it doesn't hurt them? How long's it going to be till you overdose, Naruto, or till you fuck your life up so much there's nothing left?"

Naruto looked at the ground, unable to meet Sasuke's eyes. "My life's already fucked up."

"Don't give me that shit. Weren't you the one always saying, 'never give up' and all that crap?" He shook his head. "I thought I'd actually met someone who stuck to his word. I thought you were the type who was stronger than drugs." He gave a harsh laugh. "Guess I was wrong. You're just like all the other pathetic weaklings out there who talk high and live low."

The dark-haired teen left, slamming the door behind him, and leaving Naruto standing in the middle of the bathroom. He didn't move for a moment, then -

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" he yelled, grabbing at his hair and pulling. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" He caught sight of his face in the mirror and slammed his fist into the glass. It shattered, shards cutting into his skin and falling into the sink.

The young boy stared at his fist for a moment, watching the blood run off it and then looked at the pills on the floor.

_What was he doing? Why was he taking this shit? _

Sasuke was right. He'd been hurting people. Ino, Hinata, Sasuke..._Gaara_. He bit his lip. That kid had finally found someone he could rely on, and Naruto was failing him, just like everyone else had in his life.

"Fuck." he said, clenching his bloody hand.

_No._ He was stronger than this. For the first time in a long time Naruto could hear the whisper of that old voice in his head, the fire that always used to drive him._ I__** am**__ stronger than this. _

He picked up the rest of the pills, pulled out the ones in his pocket and stood in front of the toilet, his hands held over the pan.

"You can do this." he whispered. "You can do this." His hands were shaking. He could take one right now, just to tide him over, to help him start anew and get off the drugs. Naruto bit his lip.

"I'm better than this." he said, and he opened his hands. The red pills poured like sand between his fingers, splashing into the pan below.

Naruto pressed the handle down and watched the tablets swirl away into oblivion. He had to use every ounce of his willpower to stop himself from shoving his hand into the toilet water and pulling them out.

"Fuck Orochimaru." he said. Then he took a deep, shaky breath. The gnawing animal inside him felt like it was growing. "Fuck, I'm going to need help."


	29. Return of the Will of Fire

**AN:** Thank you, lovely regular reviewers for your swift comments and reviews. Here is the next chapter as promised. I'm going to be busy this week, so I may not have time to put another chapter up within the next few days, but hopefully I will have time this weekend. I'll work on it when I can. :)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 28: Return of the Will of Fire

_"The will of man is his happiness."_

~Johann Friedrich von Schiller

* * *

><p>Naruto waited till the end of lunch break before he approached Sasuke. He was worried he'd already gone home like many of the students who were bunking off the last free period, but no, the sullen boy was in the library. Typical Sasuke, getting a head start on exams. Naruto watched him a while. His head was bent over his books, dark hair falling forward into his eyes as they narrowed in concentration, yet he seemed to be scanning and re-scanning the page, never turning over or getting any further. Naruto could see another book lying next to him, the cover face-up. <em>Criminal Law. <em>Why was he reading upon criminal law?

Naruto cleared his throat and Sasuke looked up at the blonde teen.

"Hey." he said weakly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Uzumaki?"

Naruto swallowed. "I, uh, about before..."

Sasuke's eyes were like chips of ice. "There's nothing to say."

"No." said Naruto quietly. "I, you're, ugh..."

He steeled himself. "You were right."

Sasuke was putting his book away in his bag, but stopped, looking up at the blonde idiot in amazement.

"What did you just say?"

"I said you're right!" Man, he hated saying those words. "I was being weak. I...should never have kept taking those pills, and I was hurting the people around me."

_Especially Red_...

"Ok." said Sasuke slowly.

Naruto took a deep breath. "I poured them all down the toilet. I want-" He raked a hand through his hair. "I wanna stop. I wanna get clean."

The dark-haired boy said nothing, just looked at him with that piercing stare.

_Geez, give me a hand here. _Naruto ploughed on anyway.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I can't do it on my own. Even I know my limits."

Sasuke considered this for a moment. "So, you're saying you need my help."

Naruto nodded silently. Fuck, why was this so hard? Why was he even asking the bastard of all people. Why would he-?

"Ok. I'll help you."

"Wait, what?" Naruto couldn't believe his ears. "You serious?"

"Are you serious about quitting?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'm serious."

"Oh, ok. Um, thanks." There was an awkward silence. "So, what happens now?"

"First, you tell me what you were taking."

"I, uh, don't know."

"You don't know? How the fuck do you not know?"

"It's an experimental one, ok? I just- I don't know. It's called Bliss."

Sasuke took a sharp intake of breath.

"You know it?" asked Naruto.

"I've heard of it. It's the shit my brother got involved in."

"Oh." He sat down heavily. Crap. Now he was just like Sasuke's brother. Great. The bastard would never trust him again.

Sasuke raked a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I don't know what it's going to be like coming off this stuff, but my guess is it's going to be tough. Really tough." He looked at him intensely. "You sure you're ready for it?

Naruto looked him straight in the eye, resolution flowing through him. "I'll never be mayor of Konoha if I'm hooked on drugs. I'm getting off these or my name's not Naruto Uzumaki."

The raven-haired teen leaned back with a smirk. "Then we have some arrangements to make."

The arrangements weren't quite what Naruto had been expecting. Come to think of it, he wasn't actually sure what he'd been expecting. Someone to keep an eye on him maybe? For Sasuke to be watching over his shoulder? He should've known it wouldn't be that easy. Getting off drugs could never be that easy.

* * *

><p>It had been over 7 hours since he'd last taken a pill and already he felt weak, dizzy and sickly. His skin was burning, yet he shivered with cold. Sasuke was right. He was lucky it was Spring break. There's no way he could do this and still be in school.<p>

The blonde boy couldn't stop his hand shaking as he turned the handle to enter Orochimaru's classroom that day. The image of Red's face was what made him go in. Orochimaru was waiting at his desk as usual.

"Naruto-kun." he smiled in greeting. There was a package on the desk. Orochimaru got up and moved towards the teen, putting a hand on his shoulder, his thumb stroking his neck.

"I missed you."

Naruto swallowed.

"Orochimaru," he spoke the hated name. "I need some time off."

The teacher looked amused. "Time…off?" The very idea sounded ridiculous as he said it.

But Naruto squared his shoulders. "Yeah. Two weeks. It's Spring break."

"For what may I ask?"

"I've been feeling ill. After Spring break we've got exams. I can't do this and exam revision. It's overdoing it. You want me to do my job, do what you need, then you need to let me have this."

He waited. Orochimaru was still looking immensely entertained and Naruto could see the inevitable no forming on the man's lips. He suddenly felt a tickle in his throat and began to cough. It was a dry, hacking cough. Orochimaru quickly withdraw his arm as his student began to cough violently, doubling over. Finally it passed and Naruto felt lightheaded. He leaned on the desk waiting for it to pass. The snake-like man no longer looked entertained. He took in the pale skin usually so tanned, the dull eyes.

"Time off to recuperate. Very well. I'll allow it. I don't particularly wish for my workers to die on me."

_Well, that was unexpectedly easy._

"However, I have one condition." _Of course_. "You can have this spring break off and I'll look forward to the next time we do business in precisely 14 days when school starts again. For now, I want you to make the wait worth my while." The repulsive smile was back on his face.

Naruto said nothing. He simply sank to his knees as the man drew down his zip.

Naruto left the classroom feeling lighter than he had in months. His mouth and back hurt like hell - Orochimaru had gone rough - but none of that mattered. Two glorious weeks of freedom!

Sasuke was waiting for him when he got to the school entrance, and Naruto quickly disguised his limp.

"What took you so long?"

"I just had to get my homework from the teachers and call work about time off. I used the school phone." Naruto lied smoothly. "They said it was ok. I just have to grab some stuff from my apartment and I can meet you at yours." He just needed to drop off the package at Shunsuke's and he'd be home free. Never had he thought it'd be so easy.

"I'll come with you."

"No, it's ok, really."

"I'm coming with you. If you have any drugs at home, I have to make sure you don't take them."

"Ah, right, yeah." Ok, well, mainly easy. It wouldn't be hard to deliver the package without making a big deal. Still, when Sasuke had first told him about the 'arrangements', he'd laughed in his face.

* * *

><p><em><strong>One hour earlier<strong>_

"Ok, first of all," said Sasuke, continuing to put the library books in his bag. "You're going to have to take some time off your job."

Naruto let out a sardonic laugh before his stomach sank to his feet.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen."

"Why not?" Sasuke did not look amused.

The blonde boy started picking at the table. "I'll never get time off work. Not in a million years."

"You do a paper round, don't you? It can't be that big a deal if you get a couple weeks off. It's almost exam time anyway. Most jobs would give you time off to study."

Naruto avoided his eyes. "It's not that simple."

"Naruto." The way he said his name made the blonde boy look up. Sasuke looked serious.

"You have to _make _them give you time off. Otherwise you're not going to survive this."

Naruto swallowed and nodded. "I'll try."

"You'll get it." said Sasuke firmly.

"Fine. I'll get it." he repeated.

"All right. That brings me to the second thing. You're going to stay over at my house for the next two weeks."

"What!?" Naruto stood up quickly staring at Sasuke in shock. The boy opposite him was completely calm.

"Loser, you're going to be sicker than you have ever been in your life. You're going to need fluids and constant attention. Is your guardian going to look after you?"

The blonde teen shook his head.

"Then you're staying over at mine for Spring break. End of discussion."


	30. The Shadows

**AN: **Well, my lovelies. I have been writing like a crazy person, and I made this chapter deliciously long for you all since the last few have been shorties. ;) I haven't proofread it all, so it may have some mistakes. Hopefully, I can correct them later.

Thank you all for your reviews! They are my bread and butter as I write this and make me so happy. I've decided I definitely want to continue writing and maybe even become a writer someday if I can improve my skills enough. I don't need success, and I know I have a long way to go before I can write my own original good book, but the joy of writing has gotten me addicted. Anyway, again, thank you all for your encouragement. Reviews/criticism is welcome at all times. Please enjoy! :)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 29: The Shadows

_"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."_

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

* * *

><p>Naruto wasn't sure what to think now as he stood in front of the Uchiha's home. It was...well, it was huge, more a mansion than a house, and the blonde boy just stood there gawping not even noticing as his packed bag slid off his shoulder thumping onto the ground, the few items he'd picked up before dropping the package off at the apartment. Sasuke was already at the front door opening it to go inside.<p>

"You coming in or what?" said Sasuke.

Naruto picked up his bag and ran to the door.

"Oi, bastard. You didn't tell me you were rich."

"It was none of your business."

Naruto had no reply to that so he silently followed the dark-haired boy into the house.

Inside was spotless. Naruto stepped onto a shiny, polished wooden floor. It was a dark wood, but the light in the hallway was enough to stop the house from looking dark and dreary. A mahogany staircase stretched into the upper stories of the house. Sasuke tossed his house keys into a glass dish on a side table. Naruto could see through some doors into other rooms. The house had a calm look of wealth without being showy. Naruto almost felt awed into silence by the grandeur…almost.

"Won't, uh, won't your guardian or whoever mind me staying here?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I live alone." He walked down the hallway and Naruto quickly followed after, eyes wide.

"How the hell did you swing that?"

"I'm a few months older than you, remember?" said Sasuke. "I lived with a guardian before, but as soon as I turned 16, I moved back here."

Naruto swallowed. "Was it…that bad?" Maybe Sasuke's guardian had abused him.

Sasuke paused, giving him a strange look. "It was annoying. My guardian was Kakashi."

Naruto felt his mouth twitch. "Mr. Kakashi? As in our Math teacher? You lived with Mr. Kakashi?"

That was just too weird. His mind filled with bizarre images of a mini grumpy Sasuke playing catch with an oddly fatherly Mr. Kakashi in a plaid shirt. He let out a snort of laughter.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he continued down the hallway. "I would rather live with a bunch of 2 year olds than live with that man any longer than I have to. He is the most irritating guy in the world."

"He is kinda weird, but he can't be that bad to live with, right?" said Naruto.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "He gets a special joy out of embarrassing or annoying me. He calls me 'champ', 'tiger' or 'buddy' purely to get a rise out of me. We were never really family anyway."

He opened a door to reveal a sparklingly white kitchen with gray, marble countertops. "Besides, I don't need a guardian or 'pseudo-parent'. They're meaningless. I'm perfectly fine on my own." He motioned to the counter top. "You can dump your stuff anywhere. Do you want a drink?"

Sasuke opened the door to the largest refrigerator Naruto had ever seen. Naruto put his bag on the ground and sank onto a stool at the gray marble island standing in the centre of the kitchen. Was that a pool he could see through the window? He looked down at the shiny surface of the counter. It looked almost like cloudy, polished glass. It reminded him of his old detentions with Mr. Ibiki. Ever since then he couldn't help looking at a room and trying to figure out how quickly he could clean it. Damn Mr. Ibiki and his brainwashing. Still, he got the feeling Sasuke never spilled or messed up anything. It would be just like him to be that annoyingly perfect.

"Here." said Sasuke placing a glass of orange juice on the marble surface next to Naruto. He leaned back against the kitchen counter, taking a drink from his own glass.

"Thanks." said Naruto. "Man, this place is so clean. It must take you ages to clean up."

"No, I just take care of my own room. The rest is done by a cleaner who comes in while I'm at school." He took another swig of orange juice. "Don't worry though. I gave her the next two weeks off while you're here, so it won't be a problem."

"Thanks." mumbled Naruto.

He couldn't help feeling a stab of jealousy. Sasuke had this beautiful house, able to live alone peacefully. His life looked so easy from here. Naruto would gladly go through being called 'champ' if it meant having a decent guardian who fed and clothed you. He quickly tried to quash the feeling. He could feel shadows creeping into his mind.

Naruto cleared his throat and took a quick gulp of orange juice. He wished it would vanish his cravings, but it did nothing to refresh him, and his head was throbbing. He sighed.

"This isn't going to be easy, you know." Naruto said at last. "Living with me like this, I mean."

Sasuke took a sip from his own glass. "It's going to be harder for you."

Naruto nodded. "That's true, I guess, but, uh…" He shifted uncomfortably. "I just wanna say sorry in advance and thanks, I guess."

Sasuke looked at him, his calm, black eyes boring into Naruto's own blue.

"Don't thank me yet. We don't know how this is going to turn out." He finished his drink and put it on the counter next to the sink. "And if things get too bad, I take you to the hospital. Agreed?"

Naruto nodded reluctantly. "Only if I ask for it though, ok? I know my own body. If I say I'm ok, promise me you won't take me. If my supplier finds out I'm trying to get off the drugs, my life is over. Probably literally."

Sasuke frowned. "You still haven't told me who your supplier is."

"The less you know, the better." said Naruto, taking another drink of orange juice.

"I'm about to help you go through drug withdrawal and you're telling me the less I know the better?" said Sasuke, folding his arms. "That's fucking bullshit."

"You don't understand." said Naruto. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?" pressed Sasuke.

Naruto gnawed his lip. If he told Sasuke about Orochimaru, Sasuke would probably do something about it, maybe go to the police. If that happened, Orochimaru would definitely go after Sasuke. He'd be the first target.

"It's dangerous for you to know, Sasuke." said Naruto at last. "Just…you have to trust me on this one. If I could tell you, believe me I would." He sighed. "Just promise me, will you? You won't take me to the hospital unless I ask for it. I know what I can handle."

Sasuke ground his teeth. "Fine. But it doesn't end here, you got that, Uzumaki? You will tell me what's going on sooner or later."

_No chance in hell._

"Sure." said Naruto.

"Also, if you die in my house, I swear I will kill you."

Naruto couldn't help splitting a grin at that. "Golly gee whizz, Batman. What a threat."

Sasuke smirked. He put down his now empty glass next to the sink. "Come on, I'll give you the tour."

* * *

><p>"Hall, living room, bathroom, bedroom, other bedroom." reeled off Sasuke as he showed Naruto around. The rooms were all simple, rather minimalistic, but tastefully decorated.<p>

"This is my room." Said Sasuke, opening the door. Naruto got a glimpse inside of dark black and blue décor before the door was shut.

"And this is your room while you're here." said Sasuke, opening the door opposite his own room. It was a white, sparse room with a comfortable-looking bed and a large walk-in closet. There were no curtains, just white blinds. Everything was so…white, yet it didn't look sterile like a hospital room. It had warmth.

"Sweet. A TV." Said Naruto walking over to the large flat screen opposite the bed. The bed had some cushions so that it could serve as a sofa/bed.

"You're going to need something to distract you when you're in here."

Naruto turned to look at him in surprise. Had Sasuke put this in here for him? He'd prepared a whole room for him. He wasn't sure what to say.

"It's nice…thanks."

Sasuke shrugged. "Is that all you're going to need?" he said, motioning to the bags.

"Yeah, I don't need much to live on." replied Naruto.

"Ok," said Sasuke. "I'll let you unpack. I'm going to go make some dinner."

He left, the door closing behind with a soft click.

* * *

><p>It took Naruto approximately five minutes to unpack. He'd brought just a few clothes which he put in the walk-in closet. It was odd seeing the large closet with about three items of clothing in it. He'd even brought his frog clock and he put it on the nightstand, along with his parent's photo. It felt good to have those familiar things with him. He looked at his parent's face for a moment before hiding the picture under his pillow. He didn't really want Sasuke's questions about them.<p>

After that he went downstairs and into the kitchen where Sasuke had set out some food. A lot of it looked pre-prepared, steaming after being heated up in the microwave. They were still in tubs of Tupperware.

"Did you make all this?" asked Naruto.

"Some of it." replied Sasuke, handing Naruto a plate. "I tend to cook at the weekends. It saves me making food during the week when I have less time."

"You'd make a great housewife." said Naruto with a snicker.

Sasuke took away the plate. "No dinner for you."

"Wait wait wait! I'm sorry, really!" yelled Naruto grabbing for the plate. "It looks awesome and it's totally manly to cook and awesome and stuff. Don't take my food away." He tried his best puppy dog look.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and put the plate back down. "You're so damn retarded."

"Hey, I'm just full of character." replied Naruto, helping himself to some of the leftovers set out on the counter.

"You're full of something anyway." said Sasuke.

Naruto had already shoved a forkful of some strange pie into his mouth. He was about to retort to Sasuke's comment, but his mouth was suddenly filled with deliciousness.

"Oh my gok, wha' ish dish pie?" he said around a mouthful of food.

Sasuke sighed. "It's quiche, so some vegetables mixed with cheese and pastry."

Naruto swallowed. "It's awesome. I didn't know vegetables could taste good. Man, if you were a girl, you'd just have to give a guy this and he'd marry you on the spot."

"Wow." said Sasuke. "I feel so honoured that were I female you would deign to marry me for my food."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, you and every girl in this city, Uchiha. Get in line, please."

Sasuke delicately sliced his own piece of quiche. "I'm sorry to break it to you, Uzumaki, but an orange yellow-haired slob would not be my first choice for a wife."

"Hey, I am NOT a slob!" protested Naruto, "And…wait wait wait, you'd clearly be the wife in this relationship, Uchiha!"

"You wanna bet? I'd love to see you try and be the man." said Sasuke.

The words hung awkwardly in the air as both boys suddenly realised the implied meaning of exactly what they were discussing.

"Uhhh…" said Naruto, looking down at his food. "Anyway, what I meant was this kishi thingy is really good."

"Quiche." corrected Sasuke. He cleared his throat and got up quickly, putting his dishes in the sink, his back turned to Naruto as he began to fill the basin.

Naruto sat on his stool, resting his head in his hands. He felt full. The cravings were still there, but they had abated slightly after the delicious meal and he was basking in the calm atmosphere of post-food happiness. Thankfully, the awkward atmosphere had dissipated a bit during cleaning up, and Sasuke was drying the last few dishes.

He put the last dish in the cupboard and turned to catch Naruto yawning. The blonde's eyes were bloodshot and his face looked drawn.

"You'd better go to bed." said Sasuke.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Are you insane? It's only 7 o'clock."

"Yeah," said Sasuke. "And you're going to be going through hell soon. You need all the rest you can get."

The shadows that Naruto had been keeping at bay until now began to crowd into his mind at the thought of climbing those wooden stairs and alone into his room.

"Let's just watch something first, like a movie."

Sasuke raised a brow.

"I just need something to take my mind off things." continued Naruto. "I promise after that I'll go to bed."

He felt like a 5 year old talking to his parent as he tried his best to look innocent and trustworthy.

"I promise. Scout's honour." He said, lifting his hand and showing three fingers in the traditional scout's salute.

Sasuke raised a brow. "Since when were you in the scouts?"

"Ahahaha…uh…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Since never, but I swear I'll keep my promise.

Sasuke sighed. "Fine. One movie."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" cried Naruto, and bolting from the kitchen, he quickly settled himself down on the living room sofa. It was so big and soft like a giant bed.

Sasuke shook his head. This was like babysitting a toddler.

He followed Naruto through to the living room and gave him an appraising look. "What are you doing?"

Naruto looked confused. "I'm sitting down to watch a movie."

Sasuke folded his arms. "Not here. In your room."

Naruto frowned. "Wha-? Why?"

"Because you obviously don't wanna go there. It'll make the transition easier." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto stared at him in awe as he got up from the sofa. "Sometimes you're really smart." He said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm always smart, you moron. You're just stupid."

"Hey, don't go breaking your nice streak now, bastard." replied Naruto as he climbed the stairs up to the dark second floor hallway.

Sasuke switched on the light at the bottom of the staircase. "Whatever." He muttered.

* * *

><p>Naruto was fast asleep beside Sasuke, his limbs at odd angles and a bit of drool seeping out of his mouth.<p>

The movie had finished, and the credits were rolling at pace with the orchestral music. Naruto had picked 'Die Hard 4' of all things, not exactly the calming movie Sasuke had been hoping for, but it seemed to have been enough to put the supposedly 'not tired' blonde to sleep. Sasuke examined him for a moment. The guy was so much quieter when he wasn't mouthing off all the time. It gave Sasuke time to note the dark circles under his eyes and the pale tinge to the skin that hadn't been so obvious before.

Sasuke picked up the remote and turned off the TV. The room was silent save for Naruto's steady breathing. Sasuke got off the bed as quietly as he could and crept to the door. He took one last glance back. Naruto hadn't stirred, and Sasuke let out a small sigh. This was the calm before the storm. Things were going to get tough from here on out. He left the room, closing the door with a soft click and went to his own room to get a head start on the Spring break homework. It was never too early after all.

* * *

><p><strong>2 Days Later<strong>

Sasuke woke to the sound of screaming. He groaned, sitting up in bed. The digital clock on his bedside tabled glared a bright red 4:15. He raked a hand through his hair and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing for a moment on the fluffy carpet as his body adjusted to wakefulness. He stumbled sleepily to Naruto's room. The teen was still screaming, thrashing around in his bed. Sasuke turned on the light and went over to him, shaking him firmly.

"Naruto, wake up. You're dreaming."

Naruto's screams gradually turned to moans. He opened his eyes. His lashes were wet and his skin was soaked with sweat.

"I saw him. I saw him. He- Oh gawd." Naruto covered his eyes with his hands, rubbing them to try and rid himself of the images.

"Saw what, Naruto?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto took his hands away, looking at Sasuke in shock as if he'd noticed him for the first time.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

"You had a nightmare. I woke you up."

Naruto cringed. "It's, it's not a nightmare. It's, oh fuck, it's all real." Naruto clutched at the bed sheets. "Can't you see them? They're coming for me. They want to kill me."

Sasuke sighed. This was only one of many nightmares Naruto had been having. He never said what they were and each time he woke up, he seemed to make less and less sense.

Naruto grabbed his arm and stared at him with feverish eyes. "He's going to get me." He bent over suddenly, clutching at his stomach. "My chest, my stomach. Ugh," he groaned. "It hurts so much. It fucking hurts. My body is on fire." He looked at up at Sasuke. "Help me, please. I just need one. Give me on, Sasuke, please. I'll do anything. Just one more."

Sasuke pulled his arm out of Naruto's grip and stood up. He poured a glass of water from the jug he kept on Naruto's nightstand. "Here, drink this."

Naruto obeyed, taking a small sip. He swallowed painfully. "Ugh, it's disgusting. No, don't make me drink anymre. It makes it worse."

But Sasuke ignored him, tilting his head back and making him drink. Naruto coughed and spluttered but some of the liquid made its way down his throat. Sasuke wasn't exactly the gentle nursemaid type.

Naruto settled back on the pillow. He looked deathly pale and the dark circles under his eyes had grown.

"You need to try to sleep." said Sasuke.

Naruto blinked slowly. His eyes seemed to see through the dark-haired teen, focused on something else. "I can't sleep. If I sleep they'll get me."

Sasuke frowned. "Then I'll sleep on the floor next to you. How about that? If anything comes for you, I'll notice first and fight them off, ok?"

Naruto visibly relaxed at those words.

"That's right. We can fight them." He smiled and closed his eyes. "Thank you, Sasuke."

Sasuke dragged some of his bedding through and laid it out on the floor. Honestly, the things he got himself into. He settled himself down near the delirious blonde. It was hard to tell if he was asleep. His eyes were closed, but he kept twitching and mumbling. Sasuke tried to relax into his own dream, but it was tough. His body was tense, constantly expecting the next scream.

* * *

><p><em>There was only darkness. It seemed darker than a pitch black night if that were possible. Only nothingness surrounded Naruto, and he felt as if he were falling in an abyss. No air rushed around him, yet he could feel the nothing stretching on forever.<em>

_"Is this hell?" He whispered to himself._

_"This is where you will spend eternity, Naruto... in the darkness." said a deep, growling voice._

_Naruto felt an unexplainable fear well up in him._

_"Who said that?" he said, looking around wildly in the darkness, or at least he thought he was. He couldn't even see himself, let alone tell if he was turning._

_"I did." said the voice again._

_This time Naruto did turn to be greeted by a horrifying sight. A huge flaming fox stood before him. It was gigantic, and its fur seemed to be burning, bubbles of boiling liquid escaping through cracks between sharpened teeth as it bared them in an evil grin._

_Naruto tried to take a step back, but he was rooted to the spot unable to move his paralyzed body._

_"Wh-what are you?"_

_The fox's grin widened, red eyes lighting up in amusement. "What am I? I am you, Naruto Uzumaki. I live in you. I am part of you."_

_Naruto shook his head. "No, you're not part of me. There's nothing like you in me."_

_"And yet here I am." said the fox. "You have nurtured me from a mere spark into the fire you see today."_

_The fox suddenly lunged forward, biting the teen, and Naruto cried out in pain as he was enveloped in searing flames. His body was still paralyzed as he felt the fire burning his skin._

_The fox backed off, grinning. "Welcome to the darkness, Naruto. Let's see how strong you are. I suggest you run because I plan to consume you."_

_Naruto tried desperately to move his arms and legs. They still felt rooted to the spot, and he was screaming, yelling as his skin bubbled and boiled. Finally, his leg moved and it was like he was suddenly free from his invisible prison. He batted desperately at the flames. They went out surprisingly easily, but the danger wasn't over as Naruto looked up to see the fox ready to pounce._

_"Run, run, run, little one." hissed the fox._

_Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He turned foot and fled, the laughter of the fox following close behind._

_To his enormous relief a house came into sight, a white wooden house with a red, tiled roof. It looked strangely familiar, but he didn't have time to wonder as he ran inside as fast as he could, slamming the door on the roaring mouth of the fox. He stepped back from the door and watched as flames spread around it consuming the walls, yet the flames did not spread to the floor. They stayed around the house, trapping him in a hot, fiery cage._

_His breaths came in short gasps and he moved further into the recesses of the house. The hallway was dark, so dark. It stretched into a long path, turning into an odd cave. Eventually Naruto came to a simple, wooden door. He opened it. Inside was a cosy room, yellow paint and model planes decorated the walls with a small wooden plane mobile hanging over a tiny cot._

_Naruto went over to the cot. It felt like he had seen it before. A woollen baby blanket was crumpled inside. There was a picture of a happy-looking family in a photo frame by the cot. The faces were blurry, and Naruto peered into it. Why were the faces so blurry? Why couldn't they be clear? He picked it up and wiped it, trying to get them in focus. They did, and Naruto found himself looking at his mother, father holding a tiny baby Naruto with a shock of blonde hair. He drew in a sharp breath and looked around the room. Was this his room as a baby?_

_"Welcome home, Naruto." said a soft voice._

_Naruto froze. He was scared to look up, scared it wouldn't be real. "Mom?"_

_He forced himself to turn. A woman with bright red hair stood in front of him._

_"How is this possible?" he whispered._

_His mother smiled. "We're in your mind right now, Naruto. You're going to have a big fight ahead of you. Do you understand that?"_

_Naruto shook his head. He ran forward and threw his arms around his mom, taking in the scent of delicate lavender. "I…I don't get what's going on, but I'm glad you're here. I missed you so much."_

_His mom hugged him, holding him tightly. For a moment her eyes flashed darker._

_"You need to be strong." She said. "Do you hear me, Naruto? You need to be strong."_

_"I'm tired of being strong." said Naruto as he buried his face in her arms._

_His mother stroked his hair softly. "I know, sweetheart. I know."_

_Then he felt her whole body tense and she whispered. "He's coming."_

_Naruto looked up at her puzzled. "Who's coming?"_

_There were tears in his mother's dark eyes. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."_

_Then those dark eyes began to change, morphing into a sickly yellow. The red hair darkened to jet black and the skin turned pale. Naruto found himself being held by Orochimaru._

_He jerked himself back, stumbling into the cot behind him. It rattled under the impact and the airplane mobile snapped off its string, falling into the cot. Naruto could hear the sound of a baby crying, but when he turned to look there was nothing._

_"What's wrong, Naruto? Why don't you come to me?" said the silky voice of Orochimaru as he began to walk towards the teen._

_"Keep the fuck away from me." said Naruto. The room began to feel hot and the walls around began to shimmer and melt. Naruto watched in horror as the photo frame melted too, the faces twisting and distorting into monsters before the whole thing turned into a molten mess._

_"You can't run from me, Naruto-kun. I'll always find you." Orochimaru reached out, touching Naruto's cheek, and Naruto screamed. It felt like acid, and it began to spread over his face, burning his skin. It flowed down his neck, covering his arm and chest, and he let out a choking sob as he saw his skin turning black. He scratched at his skin, trying to get the darkness off as the broiling pain spread over his body consuming him. "Stop!" he yelled._

_The darkness suddenly disappeared and he ducked under Orochimaru's arm and ran for the door. The handle was scalding hot. It burned his hand, but he opened it with a yank and ran into the long corridor._

_"I'm coming for you, Naruto-kun." said Orochimaru, his voice echoing around the hallway. "You can't escape."_

_Naruto's gasps came shallow and unsteady as he raced alone in the darkness. Shadows began to form, crawling from the walls onto the ground behind him. He yelled as one grabbed at his foot, tripping him and he fell back as the shadows began to collect around him. Its hand was burning a dark mark on his ankle and the dark mark divided itself, turning into tiny spiders that burrowed into his leg. It hurt like hell._

_"Fuck! Let me go!" Naruto yelled. Struggling, he yanked his leg out of the monster's grip. The shadow looked at him with burning red eyes._

_"He's coming." It whispered._

_Naruto said nothing. He got to his feet and ran. The shadows followed, jeering and laughing. "We're going to get you, Naruto-kun." They said, their whispering voices and jeers resounding in his ears._

_The spiders were spreading over his body, crawling up his arms. He scraped at them, trying to get them off. They kept biting him, pushing poison under his skin._

_Naruto saw the flash of a pair of steely eyes in the darkness as he ran down the tunnel._

_"Sasuke?" he said._

_"Calm down, Naruto….It's me, Sasuke." said a voice._

_Naruto felt someone grab his arm and turned to see a shadow, grinning. "…take you to a hospital…"_

_Naruto struggled in the grip. "No, no hospital! No hospital. I have to stay with Sasuke. You can't take me!" Naruto wrenched his arm out of the strong grip._

_The shadow morphed into an angry-looking Sasuke._

_"If you don't want to go to hospital then calm the fuck down! I'm Sasuke and you just fucking hit me in the face."_

_"Sasuke?" Naruto stared at him, confused. He looked around the dark corridor. The shadows were watching him from a distance. "Where am I?"_

_"You're in my house, moron. You're safe."_

_"I'm safe?" repeated Naruto. How the hell was he safe here? But even as he said the words, the corridor began to brighten and the shadows cried out, moving back._

_"Yes." replied Sasuke. "You're safe. Got it?"_

_Sasuke was beside him then, holding a spoon and a bowl filled with an odd green liquid. It smelt so bad._

_"Here, eat this, Naruto." said Sasuke. His eyes flashed yellow._

_Naruto backed away, but Sasuke shoved the spoon in his mouth and Naruto choked as the disgusting liquid trickled down his throat._

_"No!" He thrashed against Sasuke and the bowl flew out of the teen's hands._

_That was when Naruto noticed the green liquid filling his veins. It spread through his body and the spider that had burrowed under his skin were crawling out of the holes they had made, exiting as quickly as they could. It wasn't a trick. Sasuke was helping him._

_"I'm sorry." said Naruto in a quiet voice. "I promise I'll eat it next time."_

_Sasuke frowned and began to fade. "Wait." Naruto cried out, but Sasuke was gone and the darkness returned, stretching into oblivion._

_Naruto began to run as the roar of the shadows returned, their red eyes burning through the darkness._

_The giant fox appeared in front of him. It grinned. "Things don't seem to be going very well for you now, do they?"_

_"Leave me alone!" yelled Naruto. The fox was at his front, shadows at the back._

_"What good will running do?" asked the fox. "You know he's coming."_

_Naruto took a step back. One of the shadows grabbed at his ankle, crawling onto him, wrapping itself around him._

_"Let go of me!" he yelled. He struggled as the other shadows clambered onto him. They were digging under his skin, pulling at him, tearing. He screamed in pain and toppled over, tumbling through the dark. The fox faded into a blurry light as he fell._

_He landed with a thump and struggled under the weight of the shadows._

_Sasuke stood before him, another bowl in his hands. Was it that same green liquid? Sasuke helped him up, feeding him some more of the liquid. It flowed through and the shadows let go as if they had been scalded, backing off as they hissed in pain, but the liquid burned Naruto too. It felt like swallowing acid and he cringed with each spoonful._

_"No more." He said as the last shadow let go. "Please."_

_"Just one more." replied Sasuke, giving him one more spoonful._

_"It hurts so fucking much." said Naruto._

_"You're almost there." Sasuke replied before he faded into darkness again._

_"Don't go." Naruto whispered, lifting up his hand to try and hold onto him. "Please."_

_But he was gone. The shadows grinned as they saw their prey alone once again. They began to creep forward, and Naruto moved back, holding his head in his hands. "Please, just stop."_

_"He's coming." whispered the shadows in delight. "He's coming."_

_Naruto broke into a run, the voices of the shadows surrounding him. "He's coming. He's coming for you, Naruto."_

* * *

><p><strong>Day 5<strong>

"Calm down, Naruto." said Sasuke, trying to hold down the struggling teen. "There's nothing here. It's me, Sasuke. Can you hear me?"

If Naruto heard Sasuke's voice, he didn't show it. Naruto was screaming again. This time not from a nightmare. He wasn't asleep. Sasuke couldn't make out whether it was from physical agony or hallucinations. Maybe both. Whatever it was it had Naruto thrashing around wildly, trying to escape from his bed. Sasuke was trying to keep him restrained, forced to half-sit on him and hold his arms to stop him from hurting himself. There were scratches all over where he had clawed at his own skin and a small gash on the blonde's arm from hitting it hard on the bed's headboard.

Sasuke should have anticipated that, but he hadn't expected this kind of reaction. Shouldn't Naruto be coming out the other side of things by now? If anything his condition seemed to be worsening.

"Make it stop. It hurts. They're hurting me. Someone, help!"

"There's nothing hurt you, Naruto." Sasuke said for what must have been the thousandth time. "You're in withdrawal, remember? This is all in your mind and body. Don't believe in it, Uzumaki."

He continued talking, trying to calm Naruto down in the hopes he'd snap out of it or in some way Sasuke's voice would reach him. They'd been like this for over an hour with no reprieve.

Naruto screamed again and started to struggle.

"He's coming! He's coming!"

"Who's coming?"

But there was no response. Naruto just kept screaming the same words.

"That's it." said Sasuke at last. "We have to take you to a hospital. This isn't good."

For the first time in a long time Naruto showed a reaction to his word. His eyes were still unfocused and feverish.

"No, no hospital! No hospital. I have to stay with Sasuke. You can't take me!"

He began to struggle more wildly. Despite his weakened state he was strong. One of his arms flailed out of Sasuke's grip and smacked him in the face.

"Ah!" Sasuke cried out in pain. "If you don't want to go to hospital then calm the fuck down! I'm Sasuke and you just fucking hit me in the face."

Finally, mercifully, Naruto stopped struggling. He looked in Sasuke's eyes for the first time in days.

"Sasuke?" His voice was hoarse. "Where am I?"

Sasuke gave a small sigh of relief. "You're in my house, moron. You're safe."

"I'm safe?" repeated Naruto as if the word was something foreign.

"Yes." Sasuke replied. "You're safe. Got it?"

Naruto nodded. He relaxed, looking suddenly weak. His body seemed to have shrunk and his skin was almost loose around his bones from lack of food and water.

Sasuke reached for the soup on the nightstand. It was a rare moment when Naruto calmed, so he took whatever chance he got.

"Here, eat this, Naruto."

Naruto wrinkled his nose in disgust when he saw the soup. He moved his head away, but Sasuke was not about to take no for an answer. The teen needed fluids. He took Naruto's jaw in one hand and forced it open at the joints, shoving the spoon inside. Naruto sputtered, but some soup went in. Sasuke tried again, but without warning Naruto began struggling again.

"No!" he yelled and knocked the soup out of Sasuke's hands, spilling it all over the white sheets. Sasuke took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wanted nothing more than to throttle the blonde and would have were he not already in such a pitiful state.

"I'm sorry." said Naruto in a quiet voice. He was staring at Sasuke, his eyes bright with fever. "I promise I'll eat it next time."

Sasuke sighed, but he wasn't about to waste this opportunity of a Naruto willing to eat. "Stay here. I'll get some more. We'll clean this up after.

Sasuke ran downstairs and grabbed a bowlful of his pre-prepared soup. He tapped the countertop impatiently as the microwave heated the food. It felt good to get a break from the sick room. Sasuke watched the numbers on the microwave slowly count down. It had been so strange these past few days to watch Naruto's deterioration, seeing someone so strong and full of life become so weak and disorientated. The blonde's mood changes were so sudden, and most of the time he had no idea what he was doing. This drug was strong and the withdrawal was intense, far more intense than Sasuke had anticipated. Naruto was often nauseous and threw up every few hours, losing liquids fast he was in constant danger of dehydration.

Still, the fact that Naruto was still responding sometimes and fighting was some kind of a good sign. That was the only reason Sasuke hadn't gone completely back on his promise and taken him to the hospital.

The microwave beeped and Sasuke took out the now warm soup. As he was walking carefully up the stairs he heard a soft thump. Sasuke quickened his step. When he opened the bedroom door there was Naruto on the floor. He appeared to be trying to stand, but was too weak to even get up.

He gazed at Sasuke with tormented eyes. "They're ripping me apart." He whispered.

Sasuke swallowed. Fuck, this wasn't easy.

He put the soup down and helped the weak boy into bed. When Naruto was finally settled he brought the soup. Naruto looked at it in disgust, but allowed Sasuke to feed him a few spoonfuls.

"No more." said Naruto. "Please."

"Just one more." Insisted Sasuke, bringing the soup up to Naruto's mouth. Naruto shook his head, but as the spoon was brought to his mouth, he opened obediently taking one last spoonful. He lay back exhausted.

"It hurts so fucking much."

"You're almost there." said Sasuke in reply, although he couldn't help doubting his own words. After his brother, Sasuke had done a lot of research on withdrawal. None of it had said it would be as intense as this, not even heroine.

His words didn't matter anyway. Naruto had slipped back into his delirium and his eyes were closed. He would be like this until the next screaming fit. His lips moved as he whispered, but Sasuke couldn't hear the words. Sasuke relaxed, putting the soup aside. Naruto had gone into this state before. He would just talk mindlessly to himself. Sasuke got up and went to fetch some clean sheets.

* * *

><p><em>The blonde continued running blindly for what seemed like forever before a door appeared in front of him. On either side of it was a huge, gray wall. The shadows jeered and laughed. "He's trapped. The Uzumaki child is trapped, and he is coming."<em>

_Naruto turned the handle of the door, quickly trying to open it, but it was locked. It rattled as he banged on it. "Open, fucking open, please!"_

_He felt a hand on his shoulder. It slid down to his wrist, squeezing it softly. "I'm here, Naruto."_

_Naruto yanked his hand out of the grip, feeling the darkness spread over his body again, and his shoulders slumped as he turned around to face the man. "Orochimaru." He whispered._

* * *

><p>Sasuke had been reading for a while, the whispering becoming a mindless noise in the background, but Naruto wasn't even twitching anymore. The room was so quiet except for his whispers, and eventually Sasuke's curiosity got the better of him. He put down his book and leaned closer to Naruto, straining to hear the words.<p>

"scuming, Hescoming, He's coming. He's coming. He's coming."

Naruto was repeating the same words over and over.

"Who's coming, Naruto?" whispered Sasuke.

Naruto's mantra stopped and the feverish eyes half-opened, looking at Sasuke. He could tell Naruto couldn't see him at all.

"Who's coming?" asked Sasuke again. He gripped Naruto's wrist, squeezing it to get him to focus, but the boy withdrew his arm as if he'd been burned.

His voice was filled with horror as he uttered one word.

Naruto's eyes closed and the whispering began again.

Sasuke frowned as he watched the blonde slip back into his stupor. There was no mistake. Naruto had just said Orochimaru's name.


	31. The Ego and the Id

**AN: **Wow! Thank you so much for the reviews! They made me sooo happy. They give me such motivation and have me writing away like a demon. I must admit the dream imagery was really fun to write. I think it's the part of the story I've written most passionately, so I'm glad it's received such a good response. Here's another chapter for you. I like some parts, but I feel some parts were written a bit weakly. I'd like to perfect them later if I get the motivation, but for now, I want to get the chapters up for you all. I'd best warn you now, I'm pretty sure this fic is going to be full-blown angst right to the end, so please fasten your emo seatbelts.

To P: Lol, P, are you ok? I'm worried I broke your mind with all this angst. :P

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 30: The Ego and the Id

_"Horror is like a serpent; always shedding its skin, always changing. And it will always come back. It can't be hidden away like the guilty secrets we try to keep in our subconscious."_

~Dario Argento

* * *

><p><em>Naruto was staring into the corpse-like pale face of Orochimaru, his back pressed against the door. He grasped desperately at the handle, rattling it as he tried to turn the metal knob, but the door didn't budge.<em>

_"Why do you run, Naruto-kun?" asked Orochimaru softly. "I don't bite."_

_The man's lips stretched into a grin revealing sharp white canines that seemed to grow in front of Naruto's eyes, lengthening into fangs._

_"Then again," He said, flicking his tongue out to feel the point of his newly-formed tooth. "Perhaps I do."_

_He launched himself toward Naruto, but the teen saw it coming. He dodged out of the way and dashed past the man only to come to an abrupt halt. His way was blocked by hundreds and thousands of shadows. They surrounded him, the horde stretching into the distance, a sea of glimmering red eyes in the darkness._

_A pair of arms enveloped Naruto from behind. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, completely frozen with terror as he was pulled back into Orochimaru's warm body. This truly was hell and there was no escape._

_He screwed his eyes shut as he felt the man lean forward, his warm breath tickling Naruto's ear._

_"Stay with me, Naruto-kun. Stay with me here and I shall look after you for all eternity."_

_He shook as fingers slid under his shirt, lifting the material and tracing over his stomach. He felt a sharp pain, and opened his eyes, letting out a gasp of fear as he saw the skin under Orochimaru's touch was turning completely black, a dark liquid swirling patterns on his body. Dark marks were spreading over his body, crawling up his chest and along his arms just below the surface of the skin. And it fucking hurt. He shut eyes tight again. He didn't want to see it. It hurt more if he looked._

_He felt a hand in his hair and Orochimaru tilted his head sharply to one side, exposing his neck._

_"Just one bite, Naruto-kun," he said. "And you can become part of the darkness. Then you need no longer fear it."_

_Naruto only screwed his eyes shut tighter. His breathing came fast and shallow. He wanted to move, wanted to run, but where? He was trapped, surrounded by an army of darkness. His mind seemed to be breaking apart. Images chased each other through his mind's eyes, replaying parts of his life. The day he arrived at the orphanage. The day Taiki first beat him up. The day he finally learned he would be leaving. The day he arrived at a new school. The day he first met Sasuke. The day he made friends with Neji, All the friends he made after. Everyone's smiles at the soccer match. Then…the day he met Orochimaru. The day he saw the man on the gurney. The day he was first attacked. The day he met Sabaku. The day he first took the drug. And Naruto felt darkness crowd into his thoughts, filling up his head like a dark cloud._

_So this was his fate._

_He tensed as the fangs grazed his neck._

_"It'll be over in a moment." whispered Orochimaru._

Just finish it quickly,_ he thought to himself._

_Before Orochimaru could sink his teeth in, however, screams and cries from the shadows shattered the quiet. The man pulled away slightly._

_Then a low, growling voice rumbled through the darkness._

_"What do you think you are doing, Uzumaki?"_

_Naruto's eyes snapped open._

_Before him stood the giant fox. It was difficult to see, wavering like a dark flame, almost completely veiled in a screen of black. The dark marks had spread to Naruto's eyes, dancing in front of his vision. The fox stomped its paw on the ground and the world trembled. The shadows ran for cover as shockwaves of light gave chase. Orochimaru stumbled back, but he kept his grip on Naruto, almost pulling them both over, but as the shockwaves of light reached them they travelled over Naruto's body. An odd, burning sensation followed. Naruto gazed in wonder at his hands. The light and dark was mixing, broiling under his skin. It hurt. It hurt more than the dark marks alone. He felt like he was being burned from the inside out._

_He cried out, scratching at the marks on him, and looked up at the fox.  
><em>

_"What the hell do you want from me?" he yelled._

_The fox grinned, exposing its huge teeth. "Fire burns." It said. "Fire destroys. But fire also lights the darkness."_

_Naruto shook his head. "And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"_

_"Fire burns." repeated the fox. It leaned forward its huge head and breathed on Naruto._

_The teen held up his arms trying to guard against the onslaught as the flames shot towards him, but of course it was useless and he screamed in pain as the fire consumed him. He could hear Orochimaru screaming too and the man let go of him, stumbling backwards. He hit the wall next to the door and crumpled into a heap. The flames left a burning black mark on the stone wall._

_And suddenly, Naruto understood. He was on his knees, writhing in pain, but as he saw the scorch mark on the wall, burning a small hole, he understood. He forced himself to his feet. He was still crying out, trying desperately to control his body as it burned. His skin was boiling. His eyes felt like they were in an oven and the fire was flowing inside him, blistering his tongue, but he stumbled as quickly as he could. The fox's eyes followed him as he made his way towards the door._

_Naruto collapsed as he reached it. He could literally see his skin melting as he reached out to touch the wooden door, and as his fingers brushed against it, the fire, the flames and all the pain flowed out consuming the door. It exploded in a flash of light and then broke into small pieces, finally dissolving into ash._

_Naruto just lay there for a while, staring at the dark portal that was now in front of him. There was no light._

_It was darker even than the darkness around him now, lit dully by the flaming fox, and Naruto felt the hairs stand on the back of his neck as he gazed down the fathomless corridor.  
><em>

_"You have to go, Uzumaki." the fox said, staring down at him. "Before it closes."_

_Exhaustion consumed Naruto, but he forced himself to onto his feet, and held onto the door frame. _

_"Thank you." he mumbled as he stumbled forward and into the unknown._

_He crept along the dark tunnel for a long, long time, losing track of the outside world. Eventually he saw a light, a tiny pinprick in the darkness. He was tired, so tired, but he kept going. Keeping that light in sight, he continued along the tunnel. It grew slowly until he could make out the shape of a doorway, but no door. It was open, but the light was so bright he couldn't see what was on the other side._

_That was when he heard the whispers behind him. "He's coming. He's coming."_

_Naruto's breath hitched. No, not now. He was almost there. He didn't know how he knew it, but he could feel with every fiber in his being that if he didn't make it to the end of this tunnel, his life would be over. Everything would be over. He quickened his step, stumbling along the corridor, hitting his shoulders off the rough walls._

_"He's coming. He's coming."_

_Naruto looked back. He could see red eyes following him, and one pair of yellow floating in the darkness behind him. He broke into a loping run. He could make it. He could make it. The light was so close, and Naruto used every last ounce of strength to quicken his steps, but it wasn't enough. A hand grabbed at his leg and he tripped and he fell, grazing his knees on the ground._

_Naruto let out a dry sob and looked back. Orochimaru gripped his ankle tightly. His hand was scaly and the man's body began to elongate into the shape of an ugly, white snake._

_"Don't run, Naruto-kun. I'll look after you. I'll take care of you." The man hissed._

_He crawled further onto Naruto, pinning him down._

_"Please, stop." Naruto said. "Please. Just let me go."_

_He struggled under the weight of the snake, turning as he tried to reach towards the light. It was right there. He could almost touch it._

_The snake grinned. "Just one bite, Naruto-kun. One bite and all of this will be over. You can dream like this forever. Here with me."_

_Naruto stretched out his fingers. He inched forward slightly. So close._

_The snake opened its jaws wide, baring its fangs as it got ready to bite._

_And Naruto strained with all his strength. His finger brushed the light, barely a touch. It felt cool and fresh. Naruto sighed and suddenly energy flowed through him like a wave._

_The next moment he was surrounded by light and the snake was torn off him. It screamed as it was tossed aside, writhing in the light as it was burned. And Naruto looked up to see a man standing before him with spiky, blonde hair and startling blue eyes._

_He gasped. "Dad?"_

_His father grinned and held out a hand, pulling Naruto to his feet._

_"You made it." He said. "I knew you would. You're an Uzumaki all the way."_

_Naruto just stared at him. "I don't understand. What is all this? Where am I? And what is that?"_

_He asked pointing at the still writhing snake. Orochimaru was screaming in pain, cursing._

_His father frowned. "That is an instrument of evil, the drug in your system. You opened a door that it wanted closed."_

_His father's stern face relaxed and he smiled. "You made your way here and now you have control again."_

_"Control?" repeated Naruto. "Control of what?"_

_The man's smile widened. "Yourself, of course."_

_Naruto stared at him in confusion. "I still don't get it."_

_His father laughed. "You have your mother's brains."_

_He gripped Naruto's shoulders and looked at him intently. "This whole fight has been in you, and, Naruto, you won."_

_But the teen barely heard the words. His father, his own father was standing in front of him and he was drinking it in._

_"Can I stay here forever?" he asked. The words were out of his mouth before he even had time to think._

_The man's smile dropped. "I'm sorry, but that's not possible." He sighed. "There's still a whole world out there for you."_

_"Not much of one." countered Naruto._

_"You can't give up, Naruto. No matter how bad things are Uzumakis never give up."_

_"You say that, but you and Mom were willing to give up everyone. I know…I know it was for me. I know you did it to save me, but…it just doesn't seem right."_

_His father smiled. "You're smarter than you think. You're right. Something doesn't seem right. I'm sorry, but I'm just a part of you. I only know what you know, so I can't tell you why we did that, but I will say this. Keep searching." He pointed towards the snake. "For now we have to concentrate on this."_

_Naruto followed his gaze. The snake was still writhing in pain, its coils contracting and elongating in fluid motions. Naruto looked back at his father who now held a shining silver sword in his hands._

_"Where the hell did you get that?" asked Naruto._

_"It doesn't matter." said his father calmly. "What matters is you have to kill that thing over there. If you don't, it will try to destroy the pathway again. Do you understand?"_

_"I…I think so." Naruto said, taking the sword held out to him. It felt heavy, but the hilt's metal had a lingering warmth from his father's grip on it. That gave Naruto a dash of courage. At a nod from his father he squared his shoulders and walked towards the beast._

_"Ahhh, what do you think you are doing?" It hissed as he neared it. It was stiller now, twitching in pain, but watching his every move with its shining yellow eyes. "You think you can just kill me? I can't be killed. I'll haunt you…always Naruto-kun. You are mine, this body is mine. I am the ruler here."_

_Naruto felt his hands begin to shake. He gave his father an uncertain glance. He didn't want to get closer to the snake._

_"Do it, Naruto." his father urged. "Don't let fear control you."_

_Naruto brought the sword up above his head._

_"Yes, come closer, Naruto, so that I can bite you, so that I can taste your flesh and feed you my poison. Come closer so that I can cage you in the darkness forever." The snake grinned._

_Naruto took a step closer, edging near the snake, ready to strike should it pounce. He raised the sword higher and took a deep breath._

_The snake simply stared at him. "If you kill me, Naruto-kun, you will never see your father or mother again. Do you want that?" it said._

_Naruto stopped. "What do you mean?"_

_The snake smiled. "Poor child. Did you really think you could come back here again? Kill me and all of this will disappear. But if you live with me, we can live together in here. We can live with your father and your mother. You can go back to your little wooden house and spend eternity with them."_

_Naruto lowered the sword slightly, looking back towards his father._

_"Naruto, no!" his dad shouted. "Don't look away!"_

_And Naruto heard the slightest rustling behind him and a loud hiss as the snake pounced. He turned to see a large pair of unhinged jaws hurtling towards him, yellow fangs bared. He closed his eyes. Then there was the sound of fang hitting flesh._

_Naruto let his eyes open a crack. Why did he feel no pain? There in front of him stood his mother. She had her arms outstretched, the snake's fangs were sunk into her back. She smiled at Naruto even as the pain showed plainly on her face._

_"Mom." He said in horror._

_"Do it. Now, Naruto before it's too late." She said._

_"But-"_

_He couldn't just…_

_"We will always love you, sweetheart," said his mother, stumbling slightly under the weight of the beast. "But this isn't the way to find happiness. You can't stay here. I know you're tired of being strong, but this isn't the way."_

_Naruto bit his lip and nodded._

_"Son." his father said. Naruto looked back at him. He was smiling. "I believe in you."_

_Naruto was still trembling, but he smiled back at his father as tears collected in his eyes. "I wish I didn't have to leave." He whispered._

_His father nodded._

_And Naruto ran forward with a yell as he brought the sword down swiftly on the snake's head. It cried out in agony. Green blood spilled from its veins, making a hissing sound as it hit the ground and evaporated into hot steam. The snake's body melted slowly, leaving only a hollow skin which slowly turned to dust. His mother fell forward, but was caught by Naruto's father as he ran over to join them. He supported her, and they turned to face him, smiling. The light was fading, darkness surrounding them._

_"We are so proud of you, sweetheart." said his mother before they faded into the darkness._

* * *

><p>Naruto had been lying in bed motionless all day, his eyes closed, and Sasuke was afraid to leave the room in case he just…slipped away while he wasn't looking. Sasuke gnawed on his lip. This wasn't good. Naruto needed to go to the hospital. He wanted to take him there. None of this was safe or smart, yet everytime he gathered the resolve to phone an ambulance, something would hold him back.<p>

Just a little longer, he would think.

So, he kept waiting and watching, listening to Naruto's shallow breathing, thinking, hoping this would get better.

It was 6pm when Sasuke heard a soft noise. His eyes snapped open. Shit, he must have dozed off. The room was dull, in that depressing state between dark and light as the sun sank below the horizon, casting a gray pallor on the walls.

Naruto groaned and moved his head slightly, catching sight of Sasuke. His eyes looked…clear.

"Sasuke?" he said in a croaky voice.

Sasuke stood up quickly and went over to him.

"I'm here. What do you need?"

Naruto swallowed and wrinkled his nose. "Water." He whispered.

Sasuke swiftly filled the cup on the nightstand. He helped Naruto to sit up and brought the water to his lips. Naruto sipped on it and then let his head fall back.

"Ugh, I feel like shit."

Sasuke raised a brow. "No shit. You look like shit too."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He seemed to attempt some sort of retort, but gave up and closed his eyes instead.

"We say shit a lot." He said, cracking a smile. "You, uh…got any soup?"

Sasuke felt his body relax for the first time in days. "Coming right up."

He ran downstairs quickly to get the soup. This was it. This was finally it, he thought to himself as the soup heated up. Naruto had come through the other side. Sasuke caught sight of himself in the microwave's black reflection. He looked tired. After this, he was going to sleep for a week.

The microwave beeped and he made his way back up stairs, carefully carrying the hot bowl of liquid. This time Naruto ate gratefully, and with each mouthful a little more colour seeped back into his sallow cheeks. He was painfully thin and gaunt, but a few days of good eating would turn that around.

Naruto was exhausted, but he pushed himself until he ate every last mouthful of the broth.

"Thanks." He said, and then paused, staring at Sasuke with his clear, blue eyes, taking in every detail. Sasuke shifted slightly under the gaze. It was the first time Naruto had looked at him in days, and it felt…weird.

"You look like shit." said Naruto abruptly.

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes, unsure of what he had been expecting. "No shit, Sherlock. I haven't been sleeping much lately."

Naruto had the decency to look guilty at that statement.

"I'm sorry I put you through all this." He swallowed. "What you've done for me, I-, I can't ever-…"

"Don't worry about it," Sasuke said, cutting him off. He put the soup bowl on the night stand. "You can pay me back by never getting into this kind of shit again."

Naruto gave a weak smile. "Deal."

Naruto's eyelids began to droop and Sasuke felt his own grow heavy.

"It's time we both got some sleep." He muttered.

He helped Naruto lie back down and then crawled into his own bed on the floor.

"When did you bring your bed through here?" asked Naruto.

"Shut up and go to sleep." was Sasuke's reply.

"Tsh, fine, sorry for asking."

"Whatever." Sasuke said.

There was a few moments silence then Naruto spoke softly.

"Night…Uchiha."

"Night, Uzumaki." came the reply before Sasuke passed out and was unconscious to the waking world.

It was 6.30pm and darkness filled the silent room. Outside a bird sat on a branch whistling a sweet tune, but it went unheard and unappreciated as both boys enjoyed a long-overdue dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Three Days Later<strong>

A soft Spring breeze swept through the open window, clearing the stale air of the sick room.

Sasuke and Naruto sat on the bed side by side watching a movie. It was a strange, artsy film, not Naruto's first choice. So far, there was a lot of talking and very little action, and the teen was getting bored to tears.

"What did you say the name of this was again?" asked Naruto.

"Monsters." replied Sasuke. "It's an independent film."

Naruto fidgeted next to him. "I thought it was going to be good with a title like that. It's dull as hell." He whined. "All they do is film nature and treat each other like crap. Where are the monsters? We might as well be watching a nature documentary."

"If you have a complaint you can take it up with the 'I don't give a fuck' department." came the cool reply.

Naruto rolled his eyes and returned to watching the movie. The main characters began talking about cats before the scene switched to a setting sun. Wow, such drama.

"Ugh, I don't care about your stupid sunset, get to the monsters already."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched slightly. "I would have thought you'd already had enough of monsters."

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean?"

"They're all you've been yelling about for the past week." replied Sasuke.

Naruto shuddered at the memory of the shadows. He could still remember the dreams so vividly.

"Yeah, well, if you'd felt like you had spiders crawling under your skin and eating you from the inside out you would have yelled too."

Sasuke finally took his eyes off the TV screen to look at Naruto.

"Is that what it felt like?"

Naruto shrugged. "Sometimes. Sometimes it was…other things."

This time it was Naruto who glued his eyes to the screen. Suddenly, he didn't feel very much like talking. Sasuke didn't need to know the things he'd seen and felt. It had been a living nightmare. Every worst fear coming true in the most painful way.

Sasuke followed Naruto's gaze back to the TV. He knew enough not to press the matter.

He sighed. Naruto was right. This movie was pretty dull and the acting was crap, but he'd be damned if he was going to admit to that. It had been his choice after all.

There was a moment's pause as each boy stared ahead at the screen unseeing as they were each lost in their own thoughts. It was Sasuke who broke the silence.

"You mentioned Orochimaru's name while you were sick."

Immediately, he felt Naruto stiffen next to him.

"Really?" said Naruto quickly. "That's weird. I guess I was blurting out a lot of random stuff when I was delirious."

"No," replied Sasuke. "Only that, and…he's coming."

Naruto let out a nervous laugh. "Ah, well, you know, he is like my least favourite teacher, and such a freak. I guess I was having nightmares."

Sasuke finally turned his head to look at him. "You're a pretty crap liar, you know that?"

Naruto met his gaze and suddenly realized that Sasuke's face was very close to his own, and those coal black eyes were seeing through him far too clearly. He got off the bed and stood up, walking towards the door.

"You know, this movie is so lame. I'm hungry. Let's go get some food."

He walked towards the bedroom door, but Sasuke was up in a flash and put his hand on the door, stopping Naruto from opening it as he turned the handle.

Naruto froze, staring at the wood in front of him. This felt too familiar. He willed his body to calm down. The innate fear hadn't completely gone, but it no longer overtook him so easily.

"Sasuke." He said. His voice contained a note of panic as he tried to warn Sasuke that this was making him nervous, but he couldn't get the words out.

"You don't get out of it that easy, Uzumaki." said Sasuke. "His voice low."

"I'm well aware that Orochimaru is into some not so legal stuff."

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to face the other teen. "How did you-?"

"Is he the one that's been supplying you?"

Naruto was trapped between Sasuke and the door. His eyes shifted this way and that, looking for an escape, an out, an anything.

"Just say it, Naruto. I already know from your face."

Sasuke's eyes burned into his own and Naruto's shoulders slumped in resignation. He stared at the floor.

"Yes. He gave me them."

Sasuke moved back, releasing Naruto from his trapped position, but rather than satisfied, he looked…confused? annoyed? Naruto wasn't sure what was broiling in the broody teen's dark eyes.

"Why the hell did you take them?" asked Sasuke at last.

Naruto thought back to the first one, that small taste, Orochimaru forcing another on him...what had followed. After that it had become, just, easier to take them. They helped him in their own twisted way. Or at least, that's what he had thought.

He shrugged.

"So that's it, huh?" said Sasuke. "You're just not going to tell me?"

There was silence save for the TV blaring in the background. A monster had finally shown itself onscreen, waving its purple tentacles, but neither boy noticed.

"I don't know what you want me to say." said Naruto at last. "It made things…easier."

Sasuke shook his head. "You just…never struck me as the type who would need that kind of shit. Getting involved in something like this."

"It doesn't matter." said Naruto. "I'm off it and I'm not getting hooked again. You have my word."

Sasuke gave him a deadpan look. "The word of a guy who's been lying to everyone he knows for the past however long. Great."

"It's different now." said Naruto. "You've…you've helped me. More than you could ever know."

Sasuke had no sarcastic reply to that.

"But…" continued Naruto. "Orochimaru isn't going to let me off that easy. I know about his organization. I'm in it neck-deep. He _will_ kill me."

_Or worse, kill you and all my other friends,_ he added silently to himself.

"There's only one thing I can do now."

Sasuke folded his arms. "And what's that?"

Naruto met Sasuke's level gaze, a fire of determination burning in the bright blue orbs.

"I have to bring that fucker down."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I'm sorry, I know I torture you with my cliffhangers, but I had to end it here. I have to make some decisions about the plot progression. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can. :)


	32. Complications

Ugh, I have been writing for hours to the point of zombification. I'll come back and look at it later, but I just wanted to get it up for now. If this chapter isn't very cohesive, please blame it on the fact that my mind is no longer functioning. It's been tough tying a lot of threads together, and I literally am unable to comprehend what I'm reading/writing anymore. I've become so obsessed with finishing that I locked myself in today and wouldn't answer any phone calls or text messages. How sad is that? xD Ah well, I already have most of the next chapter written, so all going well, I should have that up very soon.

Thank you as always for your reviews! They make me so damned diggity doggity doo happy (I've no idea what that just was. I think my brain is fried.). Anyway, seriously, thank you. :)

As for this chapter...I may get flamed for it. :/

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 31: Complications

"_The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool._"

~Stephen King

* * *

><p>Sasuke blinked. "What exactly are you saying? You'll go to the police?"<p>

"No," Naruto bit his lip. "I already tried that."

"Then what?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto stared at the floor. "Fuck, I don't know. I'll figure something out."

"You'll figure something out?" echoed Sasuke. "Do you have any idea, any idea at all what it would take to bring down his whole operation?"

Sasuke shook his head. "It's not like you can just arrest Orochimaru and the day is saved. Even if you _killed _him, the rest of his organization would still be up and running and there would always be someone to replace him. You don't just…just destroy that on a whim. The real world doesn't work that way, idiot."

"You think I haven't already realized all that?" said Naruto, irritation edging his voice. "Believe me, I've run through every scenario I could think of to get out of this."

Sasuke sighed. "Can't you just stick it out through high school?"

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. "What? Oh, so you just mean drug run for 2 more years? Oh yeah, that sound like a good idea." He said sarcastically before spreading his arms wide. "Are you fucking serious?"

Sasuke frowned. "No need to be so dramatic. What if it was a little longer till you turn 16 and can leave the area, get somewhere safe."

"My birthday is in October. That's months away." said Naruto. He stared at Sasuke. The guy wasn't making any sense. "Why the hell would you even want me to do something like that anyway?"

Sasuke shook his head. He frowned at the floor. "I'm just…concerned. You might get yourself into deeper shit, you know."

Naruto rubbed his forehead. He was tired. "Sasuke, I'm already in more than I can handle."

_You seriously have no idea_, he thought to himself.

"There's no way I'm waiting this one out." He walked towards the window and stared out. The spring breeze made the new green leaves on the branches outside wave calmly in the wind, the complete opposite to the whirlwind in his head.

"Fuck, Sasuke. You don't know the things he's done…to people, I mean." He turned to look at the other teen, his face haunted. "He's doing human experiments. He has them holed up in his hideouts or whatever the hell you call them."

"What?" Sasuke eyes widened, staring at him in disbelief.

"I saw it with my own eyes." Naruto said, "I tried to go to the police, but they wouldn't even believe me, and you can imagine how well Orochimaru took that."

"You went to the police?"

"Well, what else was I supposed to do! Wouldn't you?" Naruto raked a hand through his hair. "I didn't have enough evidence anyway. If I could get more, maybe I could…"

He trailed off lost in his own thoughts. If he could sneak in Kabuto's house, maybe he could find something there.

Sasuke sighed. "You're dead set on this, huh? There's nothing I can say to dissuade you."

"Nothing." replied Naruto, "I'm bringing that fucker down if it costs me my life."

Sasuke sank down onto the bed, putting his head in his hands. He was silent for a few moments. When he did speak it was in a quiet voice.

"This isn't how things were supposed to be."

Naruto gave a sardonic laugh. "You're telling me."

Sasuke gave a deep sigh. He finally looked up, straight at Naruto. "Fine. If that's the way we play it, we're going to need a plan."

Naruto nodded at first before freezing as he realized what Sasuke had just said.

""Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute. We?" He held up his hands as Sasuke stood up, determination glinting in his dark eyes.

"No way, Sasuke. Nuh uh, no way, no how. There is no 'we'. There's only me. You have nothing to do with this."

"On the contrary, Uzumaki." said Sasuke, his tone turning cold. "I have everything to do with this."

He cocked a brow. "You talk like you have a choice in the matter."

Naruto couldn't let Sasuke do this, not after everything he'd gone through just to keep him out of this.

"Sasuke, whatever responsibility you feel you have, you don't. This isn't your problem and it isn't your fight." Naruto said.

He sighed. "Look, this is my mess. You get involved and you could die, and, honestly, I don't want that on my conscience."

"So, what?" replied Sasuke, taking a step towards him. He cocked his head to one side. "You think I can just stand by knowing you're going into something like this? You think that's something _I_ want to live with?" He curled his lip. "Stop being so fucking selfish."

Naruto's mouth gaped open and then shut as he tried to think of a reply. Selfish? Was he being selfish?

"Maybe, maybe we don't need to do anything too risky." said Naruto. "I know where to find undeniable evidence."

Sasuke regarded him carefully. "Oh?"

"I went there when I was delivering drugs." He winced as he said that. Well, he hadn't actually known they were drugs at the time. "His...'friend', Kabuto lives there. There was a man strapped to a gurney and-"

Sasuke shook his head. "If you saw that then believe me when I say there will be nothing there evidence-wise anymore. Any criminal worth their salt, would have cleared it." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, if we are going to get some hard evidence we're going to have to go straight to Orochimaru himself, and we're going to need a plan. We can't just barge in half-assed."

Naruto prickled at the barb, but Sasuke had a point. "Fine. Tell me _your_ thoughts, oh wise one."

Sasuke shot him a glare and stood up, wrapping the gun back in the cloth before placing it on the dresser beneath a large mirror. He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a moment before settling his gaze on the blonde who looked back at him in the glass.

"First, we need to talk, so that we can plan. If we're going to do this, we need to pool our information."

Naruto sighed and nodded.

"So." said Sasuke, turning to look at him. "Let's do this."

"First things first," he continued, "We need to find out where Orochimaru lives. We need to be able to get him alone and when he's not expecting it. It will give him less time to think ahead."

Naruto frowned. "How are we supposed to do that? I guess we could follow him home after school, but we'd have to wait till Spring Break is over."

"That might be possible, but there are three problems there."

Naruto let himself fall back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "And those are?"

Sasuke turned off the TV which was now playing the cinematic end credits, a noise in the background that was quite distracting.

"First, as a criminal, Orochimaru is going to be extremely paranoid. He'll be watching for people who may be following him. Secondly, the man has a car. I don't know about you, but I'm still a year away from getting my license."

Naruto could already feel hopelessness overtaking him.

"Thirdly," continued Sasuke, "Without a car, it would take a few days for us to map his route home. How long do you really think you can act the part of a drug addict when you're completely clean?"

At those words Naruto pulled himself up onto his elbows and stared at Sasuke. "I hadn't thought of any of that."

"I gathered." said Sasuke dryly. He folded his arms. "Come to think of it, won't Orochimaru have already noticed that you haven't been getting any more pills? How do you get them if you don't know where he lives?"

Naruto bit his lip. "I don't get them from him anymore. I get them from a supplier back in my apartment building…" He trailed off, his eyes widening.

"My apartment building…" he repeated.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said.

Naruto grinned. "I think I might know a way to find out where Orochimaru lives."

Sasuke raised a brow. "And that would be…?"

"Shunsuke." said Naruto. "Orochimaru said Shunsuke had done some work for him, that he used to be a lawyer. If anyone is gonna know where he lives it would be his lawyer, right? He'd handle all the sensitive information."

Sasuke actually looked ever so slightly impressed, but the expression disappeared so quickly, Naruto thought he might have imagined it.

"Not bad, Uzumaki." said Sasuke. "We might just have something."

Ok, so he definitely hadn't imagined it.

**Later that night: 11:30 p.m.**

**4 Days Left of Spring Break**

This whole situation felt weird. It felt weird to be back at his apartment. It felt weird to be walking through the gray hallways with Sasuke who looked so poised and out-of-place in a neighborhood like this. Sasuke didn't comment as he trailed behind. After all, he'd seen the place on his last visit. Naruto finally reached his apartment door and turned the handle. It was locked. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had deliberately chosen to come here at night on the high likelihood that Shunsuke would be out partying with some other sad dregs of society. He pulled out a couple of pins and began to break open the lock with practiced ease. He found himself thanking Neji inwardly as the door opened. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he had really talked to Neji since…everything. And if this plan went awry, perhaps he might never talk to him again. This was only the first part and already it was fraught with risk.

The apartment was in its usual shithole state, actually much worse without Naruto having been there to clean it. The teen wondered if Shunsuke had missed his housekeeping skills at all as he picked his way through a small forest of takeout boxes, potato chip packets and plastic bags. Sasuke followed him inside, closing the door quietly behind them.

Naruto signaled to Sasuke to conceal himself, just in case Shunsuke did turn out to be there, and quietly opened the door to Shunsuke's room.

Inside it was even more of a mess. The sheets were in a crumpled heap on the bed. Crumbs and bits of food littered the floor. It looked like it hadn't been vacuumed since moving in, and there were bottles upon bottles of beer and other alcoholic drinks littering the floor and covering most surfaces. The sticky sweet smell of alcohol invaded his nostrils. Fortunately, there was no Shunsuke.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and motioned for Sasuke to come in.

"Looks like he's not here." He said.

Sasuke nodded, surveying the room with mild disgust. "I suppose we'd better get searching then."

There wasn't a lot of furniture in the room save for the bed, a walk-in closet, a nightstand and a filing cabinet.

Of course, Sasuke went for the filing cabinet first. Several of the drawers were locked, but Sasuke must have had his own lock-picking skills since the locks didn't stop him for long. He began to pore through the files collected there, checking in each one.

"Looks like old cases and general paperwork." He said as Naruto came over to join him.

"I've got this. You should check out the rest of the room."

Naruto nodded and began to search the walk-in closet. He rifled through the clothes first, checking behind the jackets and pants hanging up. There was a low shelf covered in sweaters and t-shirts and he checked behind and under them too, brushing the wood with his fingers as he felt for any possible hidden compartments. Nothing.

He put everything back carefully as he found it. No point in Shunsuke realizing he had rifled through his stuff. He might tell Orochimaru.

There was a high shelf in the closet, too high to reach all the way to the back. Naruto went back through to the kitchen and brought in a stool. He walked past Sasuke, who was still sorting carefully through the filing cabinet for any useful information, and placed the stool in front of the closet. He climbed onto it and peered into the shelf. It had a bunch of old shoe boxes. He opened them, checking inside. There were shoes in most of them, go figure. He opened the lid of another, revealing a collection of photographs, all jumbled together. They were pictures of a younger and much happier Shunsuke.

Naruto picked one up. Shunsuke stood in a light brown pinstripe suit with some colleagues, smiling cheerfully. It was bizarre seeing him smile without the cynical lines around his mouth and eyes. He stood with what Naruto assumed to be colleagues in front of a gold plaque, holding glasses of champagne. Naruto stared at the plaque. It had Shunsuke's name written on it coupled with two other surnames. Wow, so Shunsuke had had his own law firm? That was insane.

There was a clattering sound as Sasuke slid shut one of the filing cabinet drawers and opened another. Naruto was woken from his thoughts and put the photo back, sliding the shoebox to one side.

He was met with the sight of a couple of old board games. Naruto blinked. He could not imagine Shunsuke ever playing board games. He grabbed one of them, an old version of Trivial Pursuit, and opened it. Inside was exactly what you'd expect, a dark green board and various pieces and cards in plastic compartments.

Naruto frowned and stepped off the stool. He put the game on the ground and lifted out the plastic compartments. His suspicions were rewarded.

"Sasuke, check this out." He said.

Sasuke joined him. At the bottom of the box were a bunch of papers.

"He hides his most secret information in a board game?" said Sasuke in disbelief.

"As good a place as any when you don't have a safe, I suppose." said Naruto. "If I didn't know him, I probably wouldn't look twice, but I can't imagine Shunsuke ever _touching_ Trivial Pursuit, let alone owning it."

Naruto and Sasuke began to scan through the papers. There was a lot of legal terminology, a lot of stuff Naruto didn't understand at all to be honest. Mentions of assets and various complicated financial terms.

"Interesting." murmured Sasuke. "It seems Orochimaru hasn't always worked alone."

"You understand this?" asked Naruto, amazed.

"Not all of it." admitted Sasuke. "But I've done a little legal research. From what I can gather this is some kind of contract between Orochimaru and a third-party organization."

He put the paper down and picked up another. "Of course it doesn't name names here, but I'm pretty sure the contractor is Orochimaru. They must have drawn this up with Shunsuke's help."

"Well, you understand a lot more than me, that's for sure." Naruto said. "Will this be enough evidence to put him away?"

Sasuke didn't say anything at first as he continued to read through the contract. "No. Like I said, it doesn't name names so there is no way we could even prove it's Orochimaru. Besides, there's nothing substantially incriminating here apart from a transaction agreement. We'd need a professional to look through it and give us a better idea."

Naruto sighed.

"Are there any more boxes?" asked Sasuke.

"Oh, Yeah." Naruto had almost forgotten. "He climbed on the stool again and grabbed the other board game. Cluedo. How ironic. A murder game.

He opened the lid and pulled out the board and compartments just as he'd done with the first.

Sasuke picked up the papers inside and began to rifle through them. He scanned through them and smiled. "Jackpot." He said.

"You've got it?" a thrill of excitement and trepidation shot through Naruto.

Sasuke showed him the paper which was a long list of several addresses. Naruto looked through them. Orochimaru's name was not among them. There were Takahashis, Yamamotos and so on, but no Orochimaru.

"It's not there." He said in disappointment.

"Shunsuke isn't a complete idiot." replied Sasuke. "He's not going to just list it under real names." Sasuke smirked. "He's no genius either, and not very imaginative."

"What're you talking about?"

Sasuke ran his finger down the lines of addresses. "These aren't different addresses. They're all one. He's using a simple acrostic code."

Naruto screwed his eyes up in the hopes that this would somehow help him see whatever Sasuke was seeing.

Sasuke sighed. "It means the first letter of each line of these fake addresses is actually spelling out one real address. Considering Shunsuke has only gotten mixed up with one major crimelord as far as we know, I'm going to bet it's Orochimaru's."

Sasuke motioned to all the paperwork around them. "He's smart enough to keep some protection in case he needs it."

Naruto scratched his head. "I never thought of Shunsuke as someone who would need protection."

Sasuke shrugged. "He was just a guy once. Drugs have the ability to change people."

Naruto swallowed. He'd been so close to becoming another Shunsuke…or dead.

Sasuke gathered up the paperwork. "We've got what we need. We'd better put this away."

Naruto nodded and put the board games away carefully, packing them back into the closet behind the shoe boxes. Hopefully, Shunsuke didn't check them too often.

When he was satisfied it looked like nothing had been moved and Sasuke had cleared up his mess too, they made their way quickly out of the room, tiptoeing through the garbage and out into the hallway.

Naruto closed the apartment door softly and breathed a sigh of relief. They'd made it.

"Uh…Naruto." said Sasuke. His voice did not sound as calm and collected as usual. Naruto turned quickly. A small red-haired boy was standing in the hallway watching them with wide green eyes.

Naruto's throat tightened. "Red." He said quietly.

"You know this kid?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto nodded. "I…yeah…we're…uh…friends. At least, we were until I screwed things up."

He turned to the small boy with a tentative smile. "Hey, Gaara."

Gaara took a quick step back. That tiny movement made guilt stab through Naruto.

He held up his hands. "Gaara, I'm not going to yell, I promise, and I would never ever hurt you, you know that."

Sasuke was watching them both in confusion.

Naruto knelt down. "I wanted to apologise, Red. I should never have said what I did." He swallowed. "I should never have told you to go away. I was worried and confused and…and…stupid. There's no excuse for what I did."

He bit his lip. Gaara was just staring at him, his expression as tentative as the day they had first met, half-ready to run.

Naruto felt hot shame flood his face. He lowered his head, letting his hair hide his eyes. Fuck. He was just another person who had disappointed this kid.

"I'm…so sorry, Red."

Sasuke didn't fully understand what had happened between the two boys, some kind of fight by the looks of it. He stared in confusion at Naruto kneeling on the floor, head down, looking so broken. He did see the softening in the eyes of the younger boy who walked silently up to Naruto and put a hand on the teenager's shoulder. Naruto looked up into the face of the other boy who was smiling ever so slightly.

"Gaara." Naruto's voice was filled with wonder and surprise. He suddenly grabbed this 'Gaara' into a hug. The kid looked completely shocked at first, but gradually relaxed, allowing himself to be held.

"I promise you." said Naruto. "I won't disappoint you like that again, ok?"

Gaara said nothing as he pulled out of the hug. He just stared at Naruto and then glanced at Sasuke, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Oh, this guy?" said Naruto, motioning to Sasuke as if Gaara had asked the question aloud. "This is my friend, Sasuke. He helped me out more than anyone ever could. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here."

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably at the praise.

"He helped me get better." Naruto continued. "And after we fix everything, I'll definitely be back to help you."

Sasuke gave a small wave. "Hi."

He wasn't good with kids. The child, Gaara, didn't react to the words. He continued to regard Sasuke with a distrustful expression, his eyes narrowing. It was slightly eerie, but the boy reminded Sasuke of himself when he was younger.

"Are you ok these days, Red?" asked Naruto. The boy tore his eyes from Sasuke back to Naruto, adoration filling his expression. Naruto didn't seem to notice the change. "Is your dad treating you ok? Well, ok for him anyway."

Gaara nodded.

Naruto gave a sigh of relief. "Good." He held the kid's shoulder. "Look, Sasuke and I…there's something we need to do, something that will make all of this over, something that will help all of us."

The boy looked back at him uncertainly.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. It was odd how they seemed to be having a one-sided conversation as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I know it's difficult to take my word for it, Gaara, but you've gotta trust me on this one. It's the only way that's going to fix everything."

Sasuke wondered what the small red-headed boy could possibly need help with that would be affected by Orochimaru. Surely, he wasn't mixed up in this drug business too. Sasuke clenched his fists tightly. Surely not.

There was the sound of a door slamming further down the hallway and around a corner.

All three boys turned toward the source of the sound. Footsteps were coming towards them.

"Look," said Naruto quickly. "We have to go now, ok? But I'll be back in a couple of days, ok? And I'll explain everything."

The child looked unsure, but he nodded.

Naruto grinned the widest, most genuine smile Sasuke had ever seen on his face and hugged the kid one more time.

"I love you, Red, and I'll see you soon, ok? If I'm not back in a couple of days…you have to…"

Sasuke interrupted, "Naruto, we have to go. We can't be seen here."

Naruto nodded. "I'll do whatever it takes to be back here, ok? Wait for me."

Shock was written all over Gaara's face, and he stayed rooted to the spot as Naruto let go, and he and Sasuke started jogging down the hall towards the elevator.

"Care to explain?" asked Sasuke as the elevator doors closed.

Naruto looked down the hall as it as the metal doors shut. Gaara was already gone.

He sighed. "That was my neighbor's kid. Or rather, my supplier's kid."

Sasuke cocked a brow. "Your supplier has a kid?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup. We actually met before I was on the drugs. I guess you could say, we became friends."

The elevator hummed as it descended past each floor.

"His dad beats him." Naruto's eyes turned hard. "Gaara barely talks, but even if he did, he refuses to tell on his dad. If I can expose Subaku as a drug dealer, he'll never have custody over any child ever again."

"I see." said Sasuke in a quiet voice.

"Well," said Sasuke as he put down the papers from Shunsuke's flat with a sigh. "There's nothing else for it." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

White sheets of paper were strewn around the living room floor, and Naruto had a headache from studying them and trying to think of a plan.

"Nothing else for it?" he repeated from his position leaning against the foot of the sofa. Sasuke sat opposite him cross-legged in an armchair.

Sasuke nodded slowly. His dark hair shaded his eyes as he stared at the floor. "I've thought through hundreds of scenarios, hundreds of ways to get enough evidence to put Orochimaru away."

He looked up at Naruto, fixing him with a stare. Sasuke bit his lip. "We're going to have to confront him, get him to take us to his headquarters himself."

"Wait a second." said Naruto. "You mean just show up at his house and say, 'Hey there, Orochimaru, sir. Can you take us on a lovely little trip to your headquarters so that we can call the police and get enough evidence to arrest you?'"

Sasuke glared at him. "Not quite what I had in mind."

He got up from the armchair and disappeared into the hallway. "Wait here." He called back.

Naruto waited in the room. He stood up, pacing nervously. Fuck, why had he said anything about any of this? He should've just lied - lied and lied and lied and lied until Sasuke gave up. Why did that guy have to be so fucking perceptive and stubborn? On the first day it had felt like a weight had been lifted. Now it had come back three times as heavy. His mind was in chaos and worries crowded into his mind. What if Orochimaru found out? He'd fucking told _Sasuke_ of all people. Now Orochimaru would definitely hurt or even kill Sasuke just for knowing.

"Fuck this is all so fucked up." He muttered to himself. Man, he hated himself for ever taking Orochimaru's money. If he hadn't maybe he wouldn't be in this mess. Fuck him for being so naïve.

Naruto slumped down on the sofa and looked up as the boy re-entered the room.

He was holding something in his hands. It was wrapped in a black cloth.

"Here." He held it out to Naruto who took it automatically and pulled back the soft cloth. The object felt heavy. His breath hitched as the material fell away to reveal cold, hard metal.

"…Why do you have a gun?"

"It was my dad's." replied Sasuke. "He was part of the police force. They took away his sidearm when he died, but no one ever knew about his spare. He got it…through not exactly legal methods."

Sasuke sat down next to Naruto. The sofa dipped slightly. "He said it was only for emergencies. I figure this qualifies."

Naruto stared at the revolver in his hands. It felt so horribly real.

"What're you saying we should do with this?"

"It's better than a knife or a lead pipe or whatever you had planned."

"I… hadn't really planned anything yet. Nothing that would work." said Naruto in a quiet voice. He couldn't take his eyes off the gun. With this, things could be so easy…to just meet Orochimaru and shoot him with one take.

As if reading his thoughts Sasuke spoke, "You really think if it came to it you could put a bullet through a man's head?"

Naruto took a deep breath. "I…." He held up the gun, testing the weight of it and aimed it at the door, only to let it drop back down. "I couldn't."

Sasuke sighed. "Yeah, I didn't think so. That's why you would die if you stayed mixed up in this."

He took the gun from Naruto.

"I could," he said. The way he spoke didn't sound prideful, more a tired admission. "But hopefully we won't need to."

He looked at the blonde teen beside him. "All we need is to threaten him. Most men are willing to listen when they have a gun aimed at their head."

Naruto frowned and raked a hand through his hair. "I guess, but Orochimaru isn't just any man. What makes you think he'll listen to anything we say?"

Sasuke wrapped the gun back in its cloth. His expression turned hard. "You have to trust me. I'm not an idiot. If we get to Orochimaru, I can persuade him." He turned to look at Naruto. "Do you trust me?"

Naruto hesitated for only a moment before nodding slowly.

"Ok, then." said Sasuke. "Let's prepare."

**Two Days Later, April 12th, 5.30 p.m.**

**One and a Half Days Left of Spring Break**

_Reality is so different from the movies,_ thought Naruto to himself. This was usually the point when the hero would put into action his awesome plan, charging into the enemy's hideout, guns blazing and dispatching all the bad guys like flies, all the while barely getting a scratch on him.

Yet here was Naruto hiding in the bushes, a scared shitless teenager watching the opposite street, waiting for Orochimaru to come home and then what? Everything would either go incredibly well or become a complete disaster, and with the amount of things that could go wrong, Naruto was going to bet on the latter.

Why was he even doing this? Maybe he should've just run. Orochimaru might assume he was dead somehow and leave Sasuke and his friends alone. Or maybe he should have listened to Sasuke and just waited things out, but then he would still have had to run eventually.

Naruto sighed. Besides, even if he did run, even if by some miracle he had gotten away, what about all the other people left behind in Orochimaru's meat grinder? The victims on the gurneys, all the human experiments, and let's face it, a man with Orochimaru's twisted tastes would just find another victim. Maybe he already had others. Maybe Naruto was just another in a long line of people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe Sasuke was to be the next. Naruto shuddered. No. There was no way he could allow something like that to go on even if it meant dying in the process. Now he just needed to find some way to protect Sasuke. If only he wasn't here, Naruto would have a lot fewer worries. He wasn't going to let Sasuke suffer from this mess. He'd protect him no matter what. It didn't even occur to him at the time to question those strong feelings of protectiveness. He thought back to the talks they'd had yesterday. They'd spent all day preparing, like it was the last day before an execution.

He sighed. It could very well be.

"You ok?" Sasuke voice broke into Naruto's muddled thoughts.

Naruto blinked and looked at him. "No. Are you?"

Sasuke frowned and shifted himself into a better position. He turned to look through the branches of the shrub they were oh-so-inconspicuously concealed by.

"It's going to be fine, Naruto." He said, but even Naruto could hear his voice didn't quite contain that same amount of certain he usually displayed. Before Naruto could comment, however, Sasuke moved back sharply.

"He's here." He said.

Naruto held his breath and peered through the leaves.

Orochimaru was getting out of a slick, black Mercedes and making his way up the front path. He walked calmly, holding a brown briefcase, not a care in the world.

Hate bubbled up inside of Naruto at the sight of him, and right now Naruto wasn't so sure he wouldn't be able to kill him in cold blood given the chance.

"We need to wait a bit longer." Muttered Sasuke. "Wait till he's settled." He glanced at his watch. Naruto caught sight of the clock face. It was nearing 5pm.

The wait was torture. Naruto's heart was thumping so hard he was sure it was going to just crash and give out. Slowly, the sun set and the light faded, abandoning them to the dull, lamp-lit streets. Damn Orochimaru for living in Suburbia, and damn Konoha council for commissioning so many streetlights. It was going to be difficult to have any sort of cover in the darkness with all this man-made orange lighting around them.

Finally, Sasuke got to his feet.

"This is it." He said and took a deep breath.

Naruto stood, stretching. His arms and legs felt stiff.

This was it. This was it. Oh fuck. This was it.

Naruto was sure he was going to be sick.

How could Sasuke look so together at a time like this?

They jogged across the quiet street. There were no cars and they avoided the eyeline from Orochimaru's lit window, but it didn't matter. His curtains were already drawn. They both crouched down behind the wall that circumvented the house.

"I don't get it." whispered Naruto. "Why does he live in Suburbia? He could have a mansion like you."

"He has to keep his cover." replied Sasuke. "What kind of high school teacher lives in a mansion? I reckon he's funneling his money into something else."

Naruto swallowed. "You know, Sasuke, you can back out now. I can do this myself. If you-"

"Shut up." said Sasuke. "This is happening. If you shut me out of this, I'll go straight to the cops right now. Got it?"

Naruto clenched his teeth which Sasuke took for consent.

"Ok, you ready?" said Sasuke, standing up slightly. "Let's go."

The two boys ran swiftly and quietly up the path. Shadows danced on the lawn under the dull street lights, but thankfully, it was still dark enough only to see two black silhouettes make their way to the gray front door of the house.

"Ok, I'll wait here." whispered Sasuke, pressing himself against the wall on the left of the door. "Your remember the plan? Act like you need the drugs, get him to open the door, and when his guard is down, I'll come up behind ok?"

Naruto swallowed and nodded.

His hand shook as he reached forward to touch the doorbell. He almost didn't. He almost turned heel and ran. In that split second the urge was so strong. It felt like he was playing the most dangerous game of 'knock-and-run' ever. But he steeled himself and pressed the stiff, plastic button.

He jumped as the bell rang and the high trill of the bell jarred the quiet of the night. There was the sound of thumping foosteps from inside the house as they made their way towards him. Naruto clenched his fists so tightly, digging his nails into the palms of his hands.

His body was rigid and right now he was sure he would have no problem playing the desperate drug addict as the shadows screamed and yelled inside him. He thought back to his dream during his recovery, the faces of his mum and dad, how they had protected him, and that brought a moment of stillness to him. The memory of the fox's fire kept the shadows at bay as he heard the rattling of locks on the other side of the door., and Naruto managed to stop himself from running as the door of the house cracked open and he found himself face-to-face with Orochimaru.

He didn't open the door fully as he peered out. The pale face showed mild surprise upon seeing Naruto.

"What do you think you are doing here, Naruto?"

Naruto didn't say a word. His rehearsed speech had died in his throat, his stomach was in knots and his heart was in his mouth.

"Well?" the man was beginning to sound irritated. His yellow eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Naruto panicked and blurted out, "I need some."

At this Orochimaru arched a brow. He opened the door a little wider.

_Yes, yes, open the door,_ screamed Naruto inwardly.

"You seem to have a short memory, Uzumaki," said the man, "I believe I distinctly told you to get your drugs from your local supplier."

Naruto swallowed, "Yeah, he uh, he uh, refused to give me any unless I did him some 'favours.'"

He cringed at how that sounded. He could see Sasuke from his peripheral vision giving him an odd look. At least it was a lie for once.

"Is that so?" said Orochimaru carefully, "And tell me, how exactly did you find my house?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I found the info in Shunsuke's apartment," he said, "I…went through his stuff."

If Orochimaru was angry at this, he certainly didn't show it.

"Very well," he said opening the door fully. "It seems I'll have to have a little talk with both Subaku and Shunsuke."

His eyes glimmered as Naruto took the heart-wrenching step over the threshold.

"Can I come in too?" asked Sasuke from behind them. He had moved swiftly from the wall, blocking Orochimaru from closing the door with his foot and aiming the gun straight at the man's head. Naruto moved to one side quickly and pulled out the kitchen knife he had been concealing in his jeans pocket. Hell, he wasn't going to go in completely weaponless.

"What do you think you are doing, boys?" The question was calm, but menace laced the man's voice.

"Move back from the door." Sasuke ordered.

Orochimaru's lip curled, but he moved his hands from the door and took a few steps back, nearing a wooden staircase behind him.

"You are making a very big mistake, Naruto-kun." said the man, keeping his eyes fixed on Naruto as Sasuke shut the door behind them, enclosing them all in Orochimaru's house. Naruto squared his shoulders and did his best to look threatening.

"You're going to show us the location of your headquarters."

The man actually had the nerve to smile. "Is that so?"

He looked as if this were just another chemistry class, and the way the man stared at him now, Naruto felt like a frog about to be dissected.

"And why would I do that?" the man asked.

Naruto held up his knife. "Do we really have to spell it out for you?"

Orochimaru gave him a mocking smile. "You honestly think you can kill me, Naruto-kun?"

He took a challenging step towards the blonde teen who automatically stepped back and then cursed inwardly for showing such obvious weakness. Orochimaru laughed quietly.

"This is a rather interesting plan you have here. Just barge into my house, threaten me and hope I cower and give in? It seems you have severely underestimated me."

Naruto licked his lips. He glanced at Sasuke who looked calm, his revolver still trained on Orochimaru.

His attention was brought back to the pale man as he spoke.

"Unfortunately, Naruto-kun, you have made one severe miscalculation in this little scheme of yours."

Naruto clenched his teeth. He wasn't going to be intimidated by all this bullshit. "Oh yeah, and what's that?"

Movement in the corner of his eye caused Naruto to return his gaze to Sasuke. The dark-haired teen had shifted position, emotionless black eyes were now staring at Naruto and he found himself looking down the barrel of Sasuke's gun, brought up to aim directly at Naruto's head.

"Sasuke…" he started, "What are you-?"

"Did I forget to tell you, Naruto-kun?" interrupted Orochimaru, a mocking smile played on his lips. "Sasuke works for me."

Naruto stared at Sasuke, in disbelief.

"No." he murmured.

Sasuke said nothing, only pulling back the hammer of the gun.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Ok, so I know I may get hate for this plot twist and massive cliffhanger, particularly from people who have been enjoying 'white knight' Sasuke, but this was always what was going to happen, so ...uh...sorry? :D I'll get the next chapter up very soon.


	33. Pit of Despair

Ok, my lovelies. I couldn't leave you for long on such a painful cliffhanger without feeling extremely guilty, so the first thing I did this morning was turn on my computer and get writing. I must admit it's been fun reading your reactions, and wow what a lot of reviews! Thank you so much! :D I wasn't sure if anyone would figure it out, but I'm kind of glad I blindsided you. xD That was my goal. I didn't want a typical, predictable fanfic story. I'm relieved not to have received any flames yet, and just want to say thank you all for being so kind and sweet. I'm not sure how you'll feel about this chapter, but I hope you'll enjoy it. Like I said...angst angst, drama and more angst is the nature of this story. I actually never expected it to be so incredibly angsty the whole way through. I'm so sorry for breaking some of your hearts! Hang in there!

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 32: Pit of Despair

"All warfare is based on deception."

~Sun Tzu

* * *

><p>Three figures were at a standstill in Orochimaru's polished wooden hallway. Naruto's mouth was dry and his gaze flickered between Sasuke and Orochimaru.<p>

"Sasuke, I don't understand. What's he talking about?"

Sasuke didn't reply. He avoided his 'friend's' gaze, keeping his eyes fixed instead on the wall behind him. But Orochimaru moved forward, that maddening smile widening on his face. Naruto raised his knife defensively.

"It's quite simple, really," the man said. "Like you, Sasuke is my employee. In fact, he worked for me before you ever even arrived at Konoha High. After you came into my employ, I asked him to keep an eye on you. After all," Orochimaru stretched out his arms, "I wouldn't want you to suddenly decide it was time to blurt out my organization's secrets to the world now, would I?"

The smile on his face froze and disappeared. "If there's one thing I hate, Naruto-kun, it's a liability. And I'm afraid that is exactly what you've become."

The pasted smile returned. "We can't have that now, can we?"

Naruto's heart was beating at a ridiculous rate as Orochimaru advanced, and Naruto struck forward with the knife, lashing at the small space that separated him from that detestable man.

"Stay the _fuck_ away from me!"

Orochimaru halted. "Sasuke, if he moves, shoot him."

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke confusion written all over his face.

"You wouldn't." he said.

Sasuke held the gun level. He finally looked the other teen in the eye. His own black depths were emotionless. "Don't make me do it, Naruto."

Naruto swallowed. "I thought we were friends."

He took a nervous step back and the next moment he heard a bang and had the feeling of something rushing past his ear. A bullet shattered the wall behind him. Naruto froze staring at Sasuke in shock.

"You thought wrong." said Sasuke quietly. "Now, put the knife down or the next one goes through your shoulder."

Naruto's panicked gaze flickered around the hallway, finally settling back on Sasuke.

"You said I could trust you." He said in a hoarse whisper.

"There's no way out, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru's smooth voice cut through the buzzing cloud that had filled his mind.

"I tried to tell you that you were making a big mistake. Just put down the knife and perhaps I will be merciful and not have you tortured before you die."

He pulled a small jar of pills from his pocket. "Settle down and I'll even give you one of these to tide you over."

Naruto glared at the pills. "I don't need your stupid drugs. I'm off that shit."

Orochimaru smiled. "A nice pipe dream, Naruto-kun. But quite impossible. Now, come here and take your medicine."

The patronizing tone sent courses of anger through the teen's adrenaline-rushed body. Fuck if he was going down without a fight. He wouldn't die before seeing this psycho's blood on his knife.

"Fuck you!" he spat out, and launched himself at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru was surprised, but surprisingly quick-footed. He just avoided the sharp blade of the knife. Naruto found himself slashing at thin air. He heard a crack and then felt a sharp pain as something hit him hard on the back of his head. He stumbled for a few seconds before falling to the floor in a crumpled heap. Blackness began to overtake Naruto's vision, but not before he heard that silky smooth voice say,

"Good work, Sasuke-kun."

* * *

><p>Sasuke stepped back, the butt of the gun held like a club in his hands. He glared at Orochimaru. "I told you not to call me that."<p>

Orochimaru's fake smile had long since disappeared.

"And I told you to keep me updated on Naruto's movements, yet I only hear from you this morning that he has defected and plans to overthrow everything we've worked for."

Sasuke eyed the man with unconcealed disdain. "You and I do _not_ work toward the same goal.

"Ah, that's right," said Orochimaru. "You have a much nobler cause of wanting to kill your only brother. How commendable."

Sasuke's eyes flashed. "If you must know, I was attempting to find a plausible reason to stop Naruto from following through on his decision to stop you. Since I couldn't create one without blowing my own cover, my only choice was to formulate a plan and act like I was helping."

He turned the gun over, so that it was once again positioned comfortably in his hands.

"You should be thanking me. At least this way you knew when and how he would attack."

Orochimaru walked over to a table in the hallway and opened a drawer, pulling out a small black cellphone.

"Yes, because a 15-year-old dull-witted teenager is _such_ a threat." He typed in a code, and the cellphone pinged as it granted him access.

Sasuke's gritted his teeth. "I believe I've earned the information you promised me."

Orochimaru held up his hands in mock fear. "And who am I to argue with a teenager holding a gun?"

He dropped his hands and nodded. "Very well. I think it's time you and I go to headquarters and I give you the information you desire so much." He paused. "I hope this doesn't mean the end of our business relationship, Sasuke." He glanced at Naruto as he lay unconscious on the floor. "I wouldn't want you to end up in the same position."

Sasuke met Orochimaru's gaze, nonplussed.

"What happens to him?" he asked.

Orochimaru didn't say anything, his sharp eyes examining the body on the floor.

He looked up to meet Sasuke's glare. "He has been an interesting…experiment, but I'm afraid he's outlived his usefulness."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You said you wouldn't kill him."

"I am prone to change my mind at times," said Orochimaru. He watched Sasuke for a reaction as a sadistic smile graced his lips.

"Besides, Sasuke, what difference does it make to you what happens to that boy? Wasn't it you who said nothing and no one would stop you from getting your revenge?" he smirked. "Don't tell me this little blonde has gotten you distracted..."

Sasuke curled his lip. "There's no danger of that."

Orochimaru's smile widened. "Good." He glanced at Naruto. "I had considered using him as another test subject for Kabuto's withdrawal examination, but we are at full capacity right now. No need to bring in another body."

"He's already off the drug." said Sasuke, folding his arms.

"That's quite impossible." Orochimaru replied, his tone firm.

"You heard him say so yourself. He wasn't the slightest bit tempted by your little pills."

For the first time a flash of doubt flickered in Orochimaru's eyes. "No one can come off the drugs." He muttered half to himself.

"He has." replied Sasuke. "I've been with him for the past few days. He didn't take anything."

Orochimaru glared at Sasuke. He didn't say anything for a few moments. "We'll soon find out about that." He brushed his fingers over the touch screen of his cell, flicking through his contacts and lifted the phone to his ear.

"Arata, I want you and Daichi to come to my house immediately. It seems we have a body to transport."

* * *

><p>Naruto felt movement around him. The world seemed to be shaking and he could hear the dull groan of an engine. Everything jolted as he felt what he assumed was the van or car going over a bump in the road. He groaned as his head thudded dully against the floor.<p>

Voices around him were an odd meaningless noise, mingling with the sounds of the engine. Naruto cracked his eyes open only to be met with darkness. He moved his head feeling rough material rub against his face.

The voices were becoming clearer still, and Naruto shifted slightly. His hands were bound tightly together.

"He's coming round." said a baritone voice.

"Keep him under." said another, lighter one. "Orochimaru wants him sedated till we get there."

There was a grunt of acknowledgement, and Naruto felt a sharp pain in his arm. He struggled slightly, but the struggles became weaker and the voices turned again into an ocean of noise as he sank back again into oblivion.

* * *

><p>When Naruto woke the second time it was to a feeling of cold. Raised goosebumps prickled across his arms and his hairs stood on end. He shivered and opened his eyes, lashes brushed against the sackcloth still covering his face. He could see the rough brown texture of it now. There must be light wherever he was.<p>

It was impossible to tell what his position was, and he only realized he was sitting when he tried to move his numb feet and couldn't. They were locked in place. Pinpricks of pain jabbed through his feet as he wriggled them and blood rushed back into his legs. He tried to move his arms and there was a clinking of metal. They seemed to be chained to the arms of a chair.

A feeling of cold, deep dread curled in Naruto's stomach and he could clearly hear the dark cries of the shadows echoing around his head.

Fuck, he needed to be strong. He needed to be strong. He was an Uzumaki. He wouldn't let anyone see his fear.

That was easier said than done when he felt a hand descend on his shoulder.

"You're awake at last, Naruto-kun."

The hood was yanked roughly off his head and Naruto spat out some fluff that had gotten in his mouth.

Harsh light hit him and he squinted, seeing nothing as his eyes tried to adjust.

"Check him, Kabuto." said Orochimaru's voice.

Naruto felt a hand fist itself in his hair and yank his head back. He was staring up into the face of Kabuto, silver glasses flashing before a painfully bright light was shone into his eyes. Naruto blinked rapidly as Kabuto checked first one eye, then the other.

"No delayed reaction." murmured Kabuto. "Pupils undilated."

He moved the small torch away.

"Open your mouth, please, Naruto."

Naruto glared at him and clenched his teeth. Kabuto only sighed and moved back slightly, turning to a large, muscular man with a meaty head.

"Persuade him, please, Daichi." said Kabuto.

The man stepped forward. He had the definitive look of a man who had been in many fights with a twisted nose and mashed-up face. Naruto couldn't move. He tried to angle his body away, but could do nothing as the man curled his thick fingers and punched the helpless teen hard in the stomach. He aimed slightly up, catching Naruto's diaphragm and forcing the wind out of him. Naruto gasped, choking on his own air.

Seizing the opportunity, Kabuto pulled Naruto's head back again and shoved a metallic instrument into his mouth. He could taste the cold metal pressing down on his tongue. Naruto choked, his eyes rolling back. He was staring straight up at a dull, concrete ceiling, white fluorescent lights stretching across it. Not a single window broke the suffocating monotony of the room. It was a concrete box with no way out save for the thick metal door.

He gagged as the instrument was pushed farther into the back of his throat. Finally, Kabuto let him go. He slumped forward gasping and catching his breath.

"He's clean." said Kabuto.

Naruto looked up. Orochimaru was in front of him, staring at him with a mixture of wonder and confusion.

"How is that possible?"

Kabuto wiped his hands on a white cloth.

"I don't know. I've never seen anywhere near this level of recovery in any of our test subjects, let alone in such a short period of time."

Orochimaru stepped in front of the blond teen, placing his hands on his arms of the chair.

"How did you do it Naruto? Was it a drug? You found an antidote? Tell me."

For some reason this whole situation felt wildly surreal. Some part of Naruto's mind was watching it play out like a movie, he,the victim chained to a chair in a dull interrogation room, the bad guy getting in his face, wanting answers. Maybe it was that the sedative hadn't fully worn off, or maybe it was just that he was sick of this whole thing. Whatever it was, Naruto decided to pull the move he'd seen so many times in the movies.

He sneered and spat straight into Orochimaru's stupid, ugly face.

Orochimaru pulled back immediately. Touching the moisture on his face, he curled his lip in disgust. He glared at Naruto as Kabuto handed him the white cloth, wiping himself off .

"That was a very stupid thing to do."

He backhanded Naruto hard causing the boy to cry out. Pain exploded through his face and he felt a click as his nose broke.

"I need you alive now, Naruto." said the man handing the cloth back to Kabuto. "I don't need you healthy, so choose your next words carefully before I put you in more pain than you could ever imagine."

Naruto looked up at him through a haze of bursting lights clouding his vision. Blood streamed from his broken nose. What the fuck was he supposed to say?

"He didn't take anything." said a cool voice, and Sasuke stepped forward, emerging from the dark gloom of a corner. Naruto hadn't even noticed his presence. He glanced in the blond's direction and the fluorescent lights seemed to dance like cold flames in the reflection of his eyes.

"I was with him during withdrawal. There were no drugs."

Orochimaru straightened up. "You were caring for him while he went through withdrawal, Sasuke? And why would you have been doing that?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I was to watch him under your orders, remember? He asked me for help. It seemed the natural thing to do, considering my position."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "You have caused me a lot of problems with your interference."

Sasuke raised a cocky brow. "Once again, you should be grateful. Thanks to me, you've found a flaw in your drug before spreading it widescale. I assume that's your plan?"

Orochimaru didn't reply, his face impassive.

Sasuke continued, "I recommend you stop wasting your time beating up your one and only lead, and start figuring out the weakness in your so-called miracle pill."

Kabuto pushed his glasses up higher onto the bridge of his nose.

"Sasuke _does_ have a point, Mr. Orochimaru."

There was a short pause as Orochimaru considered their words.

"Very well." He said finally. "I can see that you're eager to wash your hands of this situation, Sasuke. Kindly wait here, keep an eye on our little test subject, while I gather together the information I've collected on your brother."

Sasuke glared at the man. "I'm not here to babysit."

"Oh, but Sasuke," Orochimaru's face was a mask of pleasantness as he opened the door to the corridor and looked back. "I'm sure Naruto is just dying for an explanation from you, and I'm not so heartless as to deny him one."

He glanced at the other two men in the room, "Kabuto, please start preparations for tests." He turned to the silent henchman. "Daichi, you can wait outside."

The two men walked out of the room and Orochimaru followed, but not before shooting Sasuke a smile.

"Have fun." He said.

_Sadistic bastard, _thought Sasuke as he watched the man close the door. _There is no need for me to be here. He just wants to watch it play out._

He glared at the large two-way mirror positioned on the other side of the room. Naruto who was watching him, followed his gaze, a confused look on his face.

Well, he wasn't going to play Orochimaru's stupid games. He began walking over to the door, but a quiet voice made him stop in his tracks.

"How long?"

The words hung in the still air of the interrogation room.

Sasuke frowned, his hand on the metal handle of the door. He looked back to see Naruto staring at him. Those tormented blue eyes seemed to go right through him.

He swallowed. "How long what?"

The next words came in a bitter tone. "How long were you pretending to be my friend?"

Sasuke didn't speak for a moment. He could hear his own shallow breathing too clearly in the quiet room.

Sasuke searched for the words. "I wasn't…pretending."

He let his hand slide off the door handle.. "Orochimaru asked me to keep an eye on you, but…I didn't exactly have to make friends with you or-"

"But you got close to me on Orochimaru's orders, right?" Naruto twisted his bound hands on the chair, clenching his fists. "Sitting with me at lunch, inviting me to your house…"

"No," replied Sasuke. He turned fully towards the other teen in the chair. The blood had stopped running from Naruto's nose and was now caking on the lower half of his face. Sasuke couldn't help the stab of guilt that went through him. "You know, I didn't mean for those things to happen the way they did."

"I bet even passing the ball to me in gym class that day." continued Naruto as if Sasuke hadn't even spoken. "It was all by design, wasn't it."

There was no question in the voice, only dark bitterness.

Sasuke felt like someone was literally crushing his chest. He stepped closer. "Naruto, look, I promise you. I swear to you, the sitting with you, the becoming friends – it just…happened. I was only keeping an eye on you. I didn't plan this. I didn't mean for…this. Hell, I even tried to talk you out of it."

"Tried to talk me out of it, huh?" Naruto snorted. "Yeah, I guess you did."

The sapphire blue eyes looked up into his, boring into his soul. Sasuke couldn't help recalling the first day he'd seen those eyes. Naruto's first day of school when he'd sat down beside him in class, how light and happy they'd been when he greeted Sasuke…at least…until Sasuke had glared at him and caused them to look away angrily. Naruto's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I didn't think it could be true." He said in barely a whisper. "So, you're really my friend?"

Sasuke swallowed.

"You are genuinely my friend," continued Naruto, saying the words slowly as if tasting them on his tongue. Sasuke didn't know what to say, how to reply, and then any reply sank in his throat at Naruto's next words.

"You are genuinely my friend, but you still betrayed me." Naruto let out a harsh laugh. "You're actually, honestly my friend, but you betrayed me for your brother. FOR FUCKING INFORMATION!"

Sasuke's throat tightened. Finding his brother was the goal. It was the goal. Naruto was…he was…

"A distraction." He said aloud.

Naruto had gone back to staring at the ground, but he looked up again at those words. "What?"

"You were…just a distraction." Sasuke's expression hardened. "You knew what you were getting into when you got involved with Orochimaru's organization, you took the drugs and now you act all high and mighty because it's caught up with you?" Sasuke sneered. "If you hadn't fucking gotten involved you wouldn't even be here, Uzumaki, so don't blame me for not giving up _my _goal for your stupidity."

Naruto couldn't have been more stunned if Sasuke had punched him in the gut.

He struggled with the bindings on his arms.

"_I'm_ the stupid one? You're fucking working for a mafia boss, murdering ra-" He stopped himself. "…freak! And you think that's _ok_?"

Sasuke said nothing for a moment, returning Naruto's cold glare.

"I do what I have to do to find my brother and kill him. What did you do it for, Naruto? Huh?" He didn't give Naruto a chance to reply, answering his own question. "The drugs."

Naruto's mouth clamped shut at that and stared at Sasuke.

"That's what I thought." said Sasuke, folding his arms. "Pretending you're better than me in all this. Don't make me laugh. I'll admit I didn't know about the human experiments." He frowned, "But sometimes you have to make sacrifices to achieve your goal. I understand that even if you don't."

He walked back to the door. "Just because you suddenly decide you don't want to be involved in all this anymore, you're going to take it down?" He stared at the steel door in front of him, not able to bring himself to look at the boy in the chair behind him.

"Let's face it. You'd fail and I can't jeopardize my goals simply because you got tired of the way the world works."

He turned the handle, opening the door.

"You're right."

Sasuke froze. He looked back at Naruto. "What?"

"I said you're right." repeated Naruto in a low voice. "I was an idiot to get involved. I should never have taken those pills. I should never have…"

He tailed off. Somehow the confession didn't make Sasuke feel better.

"Just tell me something, Sasuke." Naruto said. He didn't look angry anymore, didn't look bitter, just sad…defeated.

"You'll be careful, right?"

Sasuke felt his heart rate speed up and he stared. "What're you talking about?"

Naruto shifted in the chair slightly, tensing his wrists under the chains. "I mean, you should watch your back. Orochimaru is really dangerous."

Sasuke clenched his teeth. "No shit. I can take care of myself."

"Just…watch your back." Naruto gave a harsh laugh. "I don't even know why I care. I should be wishing you to hell."

His shoulders slumped, and his blond hair was a mess, sticking to his face and head in clumps of sweat and blood.

Sasuke swallowed down the black hole of guilt that threatened to crush him from the inside out.

"Whatever." Came his genius reply. "If I were you, I'd worry about yourself first."

He opened the door with a yank and got himself out of that room as quickly as possible. On the other side of the steel door, Sasuke leaned against it and touched a hand to his forehead. His heart was beating at a rate of knots. Naruto was the one sitting strapped to a chair in an interrogation room and he was telling _him_ to be careful?

"That idiot." He muttered to himself.

He looked up to see Kabuto standing there with a tall, thin assistant holding a metal tray. Kabuto's shrewd eyes were examining him. Quickly, Sasuke straightened up.

"Wait for me inside, please, Hisoka."

The assistant entered the interrogation room and shut the door behind him.

"Where is Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked.

Kabuto glanced at the silent man who stood waiting, further up the hallway. "Daichi will take you to him."

Sasuke nodded and began to make his way past Kabuto, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"I must admit, Sasuke-kun,"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the nickname.

"I didn't expect you to be so heartless towards your only friend."

"He's not my friend." Sasuke brushed off the man's hand and moved to walk away.

"Really?" said Kabuto in mock surprise. "It sounded differently to me in there. At least, you certainly are _his_ friend. He really has gone through so much just to keep you safe." Kabuto's face was an odd mask as he watched Sasuke carefully for a reaction.

Sasuke felt an odd stirring inside him at Kabuto's cryptic words.

He glared at the man. "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you know?" Kabuto's eyes widened, feigning innocence. "Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything."

Sasuke took a step towards him. "Didn't know what?" he said through gritted teeth. This man was infuriating at the best of times, but right now Sasuke's temper was nearing its limit.

Kabuto smiled. "Naruto got into all of this to protect _you_."

The words hit him like a slap in the face and his breathing hitched. He grabbed Kabuto's arm. "What do you mean? Why would I need protection?"

Kabuto looked down at the hand on his arm and back up at Sasuke. His eyes flashed, but his voice was calm and level when he spoke.

"Kindly take your hands off me, Sasuke-kun, or I might think you're threatening me."

Sasuke's body tensed in anger, but he pulled his hand away. "Tell me why I would need protection."

"Well, of course, you _don't_." said Kabuto. "That's the beauty of it." He looked at his nails. "Orochimaru was able to get what he wanted simply by threatening to hurt or kill you, and poor naïve Naruto had no idea that you were already working for him."

Kabuto looked back up at Sasuke with a smile. "He could get Naruto to do whatever he wanted." The smile turned dark. "And a man with Orochimaru's tastes wasted no time in getting what he desired from your little blond friend." Kabuto licked his lips. "Mmm, I heard he's a good fuck."

Sasuke snapped, slamming Kabuto hard against the other side of the corridor. Kabuto didn't even blink. "Oh, did I hit a nerve? I must admit, I don't know what it is you and Orochimaru see in him. He always struck me as rather…ordinary. Perhaps if I fuck him too, I'll understand." His eyes flashed. "Have you given him a go yet, Sasuke-kun? You're already well on your way to becoming the next Orochimaru."

Sasuke pushed his arm tightly on Kabuto's throat and growled. "You sick fuck. You fucking touch him and I'll-"

He cut himself off. From the corner of his eye he could see Daichi making his way over to them, flexing his arms ready for a fight.

Kabuto choked slightly, but his grin widened. "Very protective. That's funny. I thought you didn't care about what happened to the Uzumaki kid."

Sasuke clenched his teeth and let Kabuto go, who relaxed, rubbing carefully at his neck.

"I don't." he ground out. "He's not my concern anymore."

His face was impassive again as Daichi came up to them.

"Everything ok, Mr. Kabuto?" he said in his deep voice.

"Fine, thank you, Daichi." replied Kabuto. "We were just having a little discussion."

He smiled at Sasuke. "Don't feel too bad, Sasuke. I'll take good care of Naruto. If I were you though, I'd try and control my temper. You might be Orochimaru's little favorite right now, but more outbursts like that and you might find yourself in your very own cell."

He took his glasses off carefully and wiped them with the hem of his shirt. "It would give me great pleasure to test the limits of your pain, Uchiha."

He put his spectacles back on and turned to Daichi who straightened up under his gaze.

"Please take Sasuke to Mr. Orochimaru. I'm sure he's dying to get the information he worked so hard for."

He smiled at Sasuke, as if daring him to protest.

Sasuke said nothing. He bit down on his tongue and followed Daichi down the hall. He could feel Kabuto's eyes on him as they disappeared around the corner.

* * *

><p>Kabuto's assistant, Hisoka, emerged from the interrogation room.<p>

"I set everything up for you, Mr. Kabuto."

"Thank you." replied Kabuto. "You may continue your work."

Hisoka nodded before scurrying down the corridor, breathing a sigh of relief to be out of the creepy bespectacled man's presence. Sometimes it was difficult to decide who was more frightening, the boss or his second-in-command.

Kabuto said nothing as he entered the interrogation room. He flicked a switch and the lights turned on with a faint buzz. Hisoka had placed the metal tray on a frame with wheels, and pulled it over to Naruto's side.

Naruto shifted in the chair, swallowing nervously. This didn't look good.

"What are you going to do?" he asked watching Kabuto's movements carefully.

Kabuto took off the white cloth from the tray and drew up a stool. There was a frightening array of surgical instruments lying on another layer of pristine white cloth, and Naruto's heart beat faster as Kabuto's hand ghosted over them, finally coming to rest on a medium-sized syringe. He picked it up and eyed it carefully in the light. Then he pulled off the white plastic cap, revealing the sharp needle which glistened slightly.

"This won't hurt much providing you remain still." Kabuto said.

He rolled up the teen's sleeve and for the second time that day, Naruto felt a sharp pinprick in his arm as a needle was sunk into his flesh. He couldn't help keeping his eyes fixed on the syringe as it filled slowly with his own blood. When it was full, Kabuto withdrew the needle and picked up a small glass vial with a rubber top. He pushed down on the top of the syringe, transferring the blood to the vial.

Each movement, each step was done with delicate precision. It was almost hypnotic to watch.

He put the glass vial and syringe down onto the metal tray.

"See now?" he said. "Relatively painless. I make it a point not to have any test subjects suffer more than necessary."

The words were not comforting and Naruto felt a warning creep up his back, the hairs rising on the back of his neck as Kabuto picked up a sharp scalpel.

Kabuto looked at the scalpel for a moment, turning it in his hand as it reflected the light. The he moved in a flash, driving the metal instrument right through Naruto's hand. Naruto cried out in agony, his fingers curling, but was unable to move his hands under the tight chains. The scalpel's progress was halted by the metal arm of the steel chair and Kabuto yanked it back out. Blood bubbled to the surface and flowed over the back of Naruto's hand, dripping to the floor.

Naruto blinked, gasping in pain. His vision blurred.

"That is for your disrespect towards Mr. Orochimaru earlier." said Kabuto in a calm voice. "He is more forgiving than I am."

He put the silver tool back on the tray. The blood from it sank into the white cloth, staining it.

"I'll be honest," he said as he picked up the tray. "he has been very lenient with you. If it were up to me, you would have been killed long ago." He covered the tray with the other white cloth. "Still, I suppose that would have been a mistake. We would have missed your fantastic ability to recover from the drug. At least now you can provide some usefulness to my research."

Kabuto stood up and observed Naruto for a moment, holding the tray in his hands.

"It is very interesting that you were willing to go through so much for your friend. Even now, despite the betrayal, you care about him, don't you?"

Naruto said nothing. His emotions were a giant broiling pot of fear, anger, worry and emotions he couldn't even put a name to. He had no idea what he felt anymore.

Kabuto smiled. "Well, don't worry, Naruto. I'm sure you'll see him again soon. Once Orochimaru tires of his arrogance, I can have him put in a room near you. It will be fun to see who lasts the longest."

He turned away. Naruto felt the anger well up in him. It overtook every other feeling as he struggled in the chair, ignoring the pain and glaring at the man who walked so calmly away from him.

"Fuck you!" he yelled in frustration at the man's back as he opened the door.

Kabuto paused for a brief second, glancing back at the boy who pulled at the constricting chains as if it would make a difference. He said nothing, simply turning out the lights and closing the door, drenching Naruto in darkness once again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I'm not sure who is more sadistic. Orochimaru or Kabuto. Both are sick bastards, plus of course me for being the author in all this. I don't have the next chapter written yet, but it's been going through my head for ages and ages, sorting out the little details, so hopefully I will have it up by next week. :)


	34. Out of the Frying Pan

Cloud Cover

Chapter 33: Out of the Frying Pan

"To be trusted is a better compliment than being loved."

~George MacDonald

* * *

><p>Sasuke was practically shaking with rage as he followed Orochimaru's muscle-bound lackey through the warehouse factility. Why hadn't Naruto told him any of that?<p>

He became so lost in his thoughts rewinding every conversation between himself and the blond, the despicable words that had dripped from Kabuto's poisonous mouth, he almost forgot to take note of where he was going.

_Concentrate,_ he reminded himself. _Right now you have to pay attention._

Orochimaru's base of operations had been somewhat of a surprise. Sasuke wasn't sure what he had expected, but it hadn't been this rundown industrial estate. Nobody would glance twice at the scattering of old warehouses across the concrete lot. The entrance to the facility was a large one-room warehouse with abandoned factory machinery, in-operational and left to rust.

When they had arrived with the unconscious Naruto, and after passing through the warehouse to the offices and hallways behind, Sasuke could see the genius behind the warehouse front. Anyone casually passing by or even taking a quick curious peek inside wouldn't consider it as being used for much, and the two men keeping watch in a small office at the front looked like your typical tired nightguards left behind to stop the place being vandalized. All in all the estate had the look of being generally abandoned and left to waste, but with the security, it was not a place for potential vandals to hang out. An extremely good cover, and few people would suspect there was a running facility within the warehouses. Any that became curious were probably killed.

_There's no way I would have found these headquarters myself,_ thought Sasuke as he followed Orochimaru's henchman through the darkened corridors. The man hadn't spoken a word so far and Sasuke wasn't exactly eager to strike up a conversation.

Sasuke heard quick foosteps behind him and turned his head. Kabuto's assistant from before was hurrying up the gray corridor behind them. He gave Sasuke a nervous glance before turning to a door on his left. There was a small keypad next to it, and he quickly keyed in some numbers. He looked up again to catch Sasuke watching him. Sasuke quickly turned to face frontwards and followed Daichi around a corner.

After a flight of rickety metal stairs and a few more turns, Daichi stopped and opened a door, stepping back to let Sasuke go in. Orochimaru was sitting at a dark wooden desk. The office itself was large with a bright window overlooking other areas of the industrial estate. Sasuke's jaw clenched at the sight of the man, but he was careful to keep his face impassive. He wasn't stupid enough to show his true feelings in front of this man.

Orochimaru smiled at him and stood up. "Ah, Sasuke, I have your file here."

He picked up a thick stack of papers wrapped in a manila portfolio.

"As you know, I have been unable to specifically locate your brother, but, in here," He tapped the file, "is every scrap of information I've been able to piece together concerning him, including everyone who has ever had contact with him. I even managed to collect some information on his old comrades, the Akatasuki." Orochimaru flashed a grin and held out the file. "Don't say I'm not good to you, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke said nothing. He reached out and took hold of the file, leafing through the pages. There were photographs, names and addresses all listed.

Orochimaru smiled. "I hope this won't mean the end of our business relationship, Sasuke. There is still so much more I can still teach you."

_Like you did with Naruto?_ he thought.

Sasuke skin crawled, but he kept his face fixed in an expression of unconcern.

"Whatever." He turned to leave, but found his exit blocked by the hulking Daichi. The man took up the whole doorway, glaring at Sasuke with his beady gray eyes.

"Daichi will take you out of the facility." said Orochimaru, and then addressed the brawny man. "Daichi, once you have escorted Sasuke out, have Arata make preparations to take Naruto to Facility C. Please put him in a quarantine room. I want him separated from the other patients."

Sasuke refused to look at Orochimaru as the man put a hand on his shoulder.

"I look forward to doing business with you again, Sasuke. I recommend you don't consider being as foolish as Naruto. You can see where his conscience landed him. I'd hate for the same to happen to you." Orochimaru's gripped on his shoulder tightened.

"Continue in your loyalties, Sasuke-kun, and you and I could have a very fruitful relationship."

Orochimaru's face turned dark. "However, even think about crossing me, and I will use every resource at my disposal to not only kill you, but to make sure it is the most painful death you can imagine. Are we clear?"

Sasuke shrugged the hand off his shoulder and fixed Orochimaru with an icy glare.

"I have no interest in your ridiculous plans. As long as your goal does not cross with mine, we won't have a problem."

Orochimaru smiled. "Excellent, Sasuke-kun. That's what I like to hear." He went back to his desk and sat down. "You may go."

Daichi nodded and set off towards the odd metal stairway which led to Orochimaru's office. He glanced back to make sure Sasuke was following.

"Keep up." The man growled.

Sasuke scowled and followed the man once again through the facility, the lacing corridors, old storage rooms and deserted offices. They arrived finally at the large factory warehouse and Sasuke could see the two men sitting in the small corner office across the other side of the factory. They seemed to be absorbed in their card game. As he followed the henchman behind a large metal vice-like machine, Sasuke noticed a large metal hook hanging nearby on a thick chain pulley. He seized his chance.

"Hey, Daichi." Sasuke said, pulling back the chain. "Think fast."

Thinking clearly wasn't the man's strong point as he turned with a disgruntled look which turned to bewildered surprise once he saw the large metal hook flying towards him. It hit his head with a dull thud.

Daichi stood stock still for a moment, that shocked expression still on his face as he toppled over.

_Timber,_ thought Sasuke murmured as the man crumpled onto the hard concrete ground. The chain made a soft clinking sound as it continued to sway, and he grabbed ahold of it, steadying it.

There was the sound of the small office door being opened. Swiftly, he crouched down low behind the machine next to him. It seemed to be some kind of metal stamping device with a large rusting press hanging over an old conveyor belt. The rubber on the conveyor belt had long since worn away.

"I'm pretty sure I heard something." said the voice of one of the guards.

"I didn't. You're being paranoid." said another.

Sasuke spied between the small gaps of the conveyor belt.

The two men were looking around the factory.

"There's nobody here." continued the second guard, "And even if there was they'd be going out, not coming in. Look." He gestured to the double doors of the warehouse. They were fastened by a large padlock hanging on a thick metal chain. "Nobody's come in or out."

The other guard shrugged. "Guess you're right. It's this stupid old machinery." He said, kicking at some rusty piping next to him. It fell from its holdings with a clank, rolling away from the man. "It keeps falling apart. Freaks me the hell out at night."

The first guard grinned. "What's wrong? Scared there might be some zombie experiments wandering around?"

"Shut up."

"Ooo! They're coming to get you, Hiroki!"

The second guard rolled his eyes. "You're just sore because I'm beating your worthless ass at poker. How about we get back to the game so I can take more of your money?" He shot the other man a smug smile and went back in.

"Pfft, I'm just biding my time." said the other guard, following him back into the office.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. Carefully, he rolled Daichi under the conveyor belt. It wasn't easy. Even rolling, the man was extremely heavy and difficult to manoevre, doing it quietly was even more of a challenge. Sweat beaded on his forehead by the time he had the man's unconscious form hidden from sight. Glancing around he looked for any rope or restraint.

Fuck. Nothing.

Only old scraps of metal and dirt covered the concrete floor. Sasuke stood up. He didn't have time for this. He'd have to gamble.

The teenager jogged quickly back into the labyrinth of concrete corridors and rooms, winding himself deeper into the heart of the warehouse facility. As he ran quietly up each corridor he paused at the corners, checking round to make sure the coast was clear. The facility was generally quiet. Most of the guards kept themselves at the exits and only the odd lab-coated researcher strolled around. Sasuke was grateful for the cheap lighting. It made it easy for him to conceal himself down the nearby side hallways and alcoves.

After a couple of wrong turns he reached his destination and faced the small control panel next to the door. It was the same one he had seen Kabuto's assistant use before. This had to be the place, but what was the sequence? He had watched the assistant's arm, but had been too far away to see the numbers on the keypad. Sasuke tucked the file Orochimaru had given him into his black jacket and dug into his jean pocket, pulling out a handful of fine dust. Of course he had been searched upon arriving at the facility by Orochimaru's men. They had taken his gun and his cellphone, but of course they had left the dust untouched, only wrinkling their noses in disgust and asking him why on earth his pockets were filled with it.

Of course he hadn't replied. It wasn't his fault he was smart and well-prepared, and they were stupid. He held a portion of the dust carefully in his hand and blew it onto the keypad. It scattered over the buttons and Sasuke breathed on it gently, blowing away the small specks. Some of the dust held gamely onto 4 of the buttons attracted by the oil that covered them from people repeatedly pressing them with their fingers.

Sasuke recalled the assistant's gestures. Left, right, down, up. He punched in a few of the numbers 4, 6, 8, 2. The control panel buzzed and a red bulb lit up. Ok, obviously not that sequence. He tried again, slightly differently. The control panel buzzed again. Red.

Sasuke gave a growl of frustration. Someone could come up the corridor any moment, and if someone was inside they'd hear him trying to enter. He had to get this fast.

He pictured the assistant's movements in his mind. Left, right, down, up.

Of course! The assistant had hit the last button twice. He could see it in his mind's eye. He keyed in the numbers as fast as he could, 4, 6, 8, 2, 2. The control panel buzzed and the light turned green. The door clicked as the lock opened, and Sasuke wasted no time in pulling it open, staying behind the metal frame slightly in case anyone inside attacked, but the room was empty. It was a huge lab filled with bottles, vials and various pieces of chemistry equipment bubbling away as chemicals mixed and flowed through pipes and beakers. One corner had several cages of white mice stacked on top of one another. He went over to them and opened the cage doors allowing the mice to run out.

_Good luck, _he thought as they sped across the counter and scrambled down to the floor in a furry white wave.

Sasuke turned to what appeared to be a large chemical oven. He opened the white door. It had two slatted metal shelves inside, waiting for someone to place some liquids in there and heat the chemicals.

Sasuke smiled grimly to himself. Good, this was exactly what he needed. On the far side of the room was a large cabinet filled with vials, bottles and powders. It was a scientist's dream.

Sasuke scanned the shelves and hauled out a large sack of white powder placing it on the counter. The label read, 'Ammonium Nitrate – 50kg`. He went back to the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of kerosene. Tearing open the sack, he poured the kerosene over it generously, allowing the liquid to soak into the white powder. Going back to the oven, he yanked out the shelves, tossing them to one side on the counter. Orochimaru wouldn't be needing those anymore. He placed the sack of soaked powder inside and shut the door examining the panel next to it. He pressed a few buttons and turned the dial of the timer. He would have to calculate this extremely well to give himself enough time. The oven began counting down. 8 minutes. He had 8 minutes before it started heating.

Sasuke jogged to the door and looked out into the long, gray hallway. It faded off into darkness in either direction. No one in sight. He ran through the corridors as fast as he could, counting each turning. He almost ran past a familiar dark hallway, but he realized in time and backed up. Running down the hallway he reached the door at the end with a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>Naruto sat in darkness. His hand throbbed in pain and he could still feel blood trickling from his arm down onto the chair where it made his leg stick to the metal. His nose wasn't much better. It felt like his face had grown to twice its size although, of course, he couldn't see it in the dark. He purposely avoided looking at the mirror to his right. Mirrors freaked him out in the dark at the best of times. The last thing he wanted was to see his own shadowy reflection, to imagine red eyes staring back. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts.<p>

"Don't let fear overtake you." He whispered to himself. "You're strong."

Those words felt so empty in the darkness as he sat strapped to the metal chair. From here on out, he was utterly helpless.

Naruto shivered. And Orochimaru was here in this building. Now, he wasn't sure who he dreaded coming through the door more. Kabuto with his scalpel and emotionless eyes, or Orochimaru with his disgusting smile. He felt sick as he remember Orochimaru's wandering hands, the pure delight in his eyes whenever Naruto flinched.

_Ugh, let it be Kabuto,_ he thought twisting his wounded hand in the bindings. He'd rather have the pain. If he was lucky maybe he'd bleed out before anyone came. But no, Kabuto had clearly been careful not to make it life-threatening. The wound had already stopped bleeding, the sticky red blood coagulating on his hand.

He heard a noise on the other side of the door, a scraping of foosteps.

_Please don't let them come through that door, _he prayed to whoever was listening up there. _Please. Please. Please._

He cringed as it opened. A dark silhouette was framed in the light.

"Who's there?" said Naruto. He tried to sound threatening although why he wasn't sure.

The figure shut the door quickly.

"Keep your voice down, idiot. Do you want everyone to hear you?"

"Who's there?" said Naruto. He tried to sound threatening, but it came out with a waver.

The figure shut the door quickly.

"Keep your voice down, idiot. Do you want everyone to hear you?"

Naruto felt relief rush through him.

"Sasuke?" he said. "Sasuke, you came back. Thank fuck."

"Of course I came back. I said I would, didn't I?" said Sasuke as he turned on the lights. They hummed as they warmed up. "We have to move fast though. I got lucky and found one of Orochimaru's labs. I've rigged a bomb to explode. It'll give us an edge for getting out of h-"

Sasuke's step faltered as turned round and saw Naruto clearly in the unnatural light.

"Fuck." He said as he ran over to Naruto and began yanking at the bindings on his arms. He swallowed down nausea as he pulled his hands away, covered in the blood that flowed from Naruto's wound. "What did they do to you?"

"It doesn't matter. Just get me out of here." said Naruto, struggling to pull his hands out of the loosened chains.

"Ok, just keep still." Sasuke's hands trembled slightly as he pulled at the metal links. Blood covered them on Naruto's right side where a wound gaped open on the back of his hand.

Naruto tried not to move or wince.

"I didn't think this plan would actually work." said Naruto.

"Yeah, well, don't speak too soon. We still have to get out of here alive, and we have less than 8 minutes before this place blows to hell."

Naruto just grinned weakly. "We'll make it. We got this far, didn't we?"

In all truthfulness, Naruto hadn't actually expected to get out of this alive. He'd had to lay his trust all in Sasuke's court. Now that Sasuke was here, all anxiousness faded away.

* * *

><p><strong>One Day Earlier. Planning at Sasuke's House.<strong>

Sasuke sat on the sofa next to Naruto and fixed him with those piercing black eyes. "All we need is to threaten him. Most men are willing to listen when they have a gun aimed at their head."

Naruto frowned and raked a hand through his hair. "I guess, but Orochimaru isn't just any man. I can't imagine him being intimidated by anyone. If anything he'd enjoy it, the sick fuck."

"I know." replied Sasuke. He leaned on his hands, clasping them together to make a pyramid shape while he thought.

"That's why…" he swallowed. "There's another part to this plan."

Sasuke rubbed his forehead and stared hard at Naruto, seeming to examine him, searching for something in his eyes.

"There's something I need to tell you, but…" He tailed off unable to finish the sentence.

Naruto raised a brow at Sasuke's strange behavior. He looked…extremely tense, and if Naruto didn't know better, troubled, which for an unexpressive guy like Sasuke spoke volumes.

"Okay." He said carefully. "Tell me what?"

Sasuke didn't say anything for a few moments. He stared at the thick, green carpet of the living room floor. Finally, he sat back and looked Naruto in the eye.

"I work for Orochimaru."

Naruto blinked a couple of times before being able to speak. "Haha, very funny, Uchiha. This isn't exactly a time for joking."

"I'm not joking." came the simple reply. Sasuke stood up from the sofa and walked away a few paces, arms folded.

Naruto stared. Sasuke's serious expression didn't change, and it slowly dawned on Naruto that Sasuke wasn't joking.

"You…you must be fucking kidding me."

"I'm not." replied Sasuke. His face was impassive, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes that Naruto couldn't quite read. He couldn't believe it. After all this time, after everything he'd gone through to keep Orochimaru's fucking paws off of Sasuke…he'd been working for him the whole time?

Something in Naruto snapped. He launched himself at Sasuke and the other teen gave a grunt of pain as his back hit the wall hard.

"You fucker! You fucking fucker! You've been spying on me this whole time or what?" yelled Naruto.

"Yes." came the simple reply, and Naruto saw red. He punched Sasuke hard. The teen's face whipped to one side as it met with the brunt of Naruto's fist, and his lip burst open, blood leaking from the cut. He didn't move, didn't resist, didn't even try to stop Naruto as he punched him again in the gut. Then in the shoulder and the chest.

Naruto hit him again and again, but gradually he stopped, confused by the lack of resistance from his opponent. Instead he settled for grabbing the other boy's shirt

"You were working for Orochimaru this whole time? Why the _hell_ am I even here? What kind of twisted game _is_ this?"

Sasuke straightened up under Naruto's grip. He wiped at his bloody lip.

"There's no game." He said. "Orochimaru asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Why?"

Naruto shook Sasuke by the collar.

"Tell me why!"

Sasuke swallowed. "He likes to keep tabs on his employees, I guess. You're considered a risk, so I was asked to make sure you were keeping quiet about his organization."

Naruto gaped. "How the fuck can you say all of this so calmly? I thought that we were-" He broke off and let go of Sasuke's shirt. "Have you any idea, any fucking idea what it's been like?"

"Of course." Replied Sasuke. "I work for the same organization. I've been asked to run errands and told not to ask questions like you. I've done things that go against my conscience. Orochimaru is pretty tight-lipped, but I have a fair idea of the operation he is running."

He took a step toward Naruto who immediately straightened up, his defenses rising.

"I knew he was dealing in drugs, and I was aware you'd gotten involved when he asked me to watch you." Sasuke shrugged. "I guess I hoped you weren't getting onto the actual drug. I tried ignoring the signs, and it took Shikamaru to really convince me."

He fixed Naruto with a piercing stare. "But that's the part I don't get. I got involved because Orochimaru promised me information on my brother's whereabouts. I'm prepared to compromise a few principles to achieve my goal, but why did you get involved, Uzumaki?" His eyes narrowed. "What could Orochimaru possibly have that you would want enough to work for him?"

Naruto felt a slight relief. So Sasuke didn't know. Not that that really made any of this better. Everything he'd done had been for fucking nothing. All he'd succeeded in doing was royally screwing himself over. Sasuke didn't seem to have suffered anything at the hands of Orochimaru, or at least he didn't act like it. To think, Sasuke had gotten involved willingly. Had he been the one to see Orochimaru out? Naruto couldn't imagine it. Sasuke had never been the victim. He was the fucking Judas.

He suddenly realized Sasuke was still waiting for an answer, watching. Fuck, he had to get out of here. Had Sasuke already called Orochimaru's goons? Would he be waiting outside if Naruto made a run for it? Naruto glanced at the doorway which led out into the hall.

"None of your fucking business is why." He glared at Sasuke. "Why? Didn't your best friend, the drug dealer, tell you?"

Sasuke was unmoved. "That's great coming from the guy who was so quick to take them. And no, there's a lot Orochimaru doesn't tell me. I'm not particularly high on the trusted list myself hence why I can't help you find the headquarters."

"Why would you anyway? So you can turn me in?"

Sasuke leaned back against the wall. His lip was still bleeding, but he either didn't notice or didn't care.

"If I wanted to turn you in, I could have done it with a simple phone call days ago."

Naruto frowned. "Then what the fuck are you waiting for?"

Sasuke sighed. "Look, I meant what I said. I want to help you. At first, I wasn't sure how we could do anything, but I think I've thought of a way we can both get what we want and bring Orochimaru down in the process."

Naruto folded his arms. "And why should I trust a single word you say?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't really see how you have a choice." His intense black eyes stared at Naruto. Naruto had to admit he had a point there.

Sasuke continued, "Besides, if I'd wanted to betray you, I could have at any time, but instead I'm trusting you with the truth." Sasuke picked up a few of the papers lying on the floor.

"I've run through every plan I can think of, and the only way for us to find the location of Orochimaru's base of operations is if one of us can win his trust enough to be taken there."

Naruto snorted. "Well, that counts me out."

"Yes, I know." replied Sasuke. "It would have to be me, and the only way I could win his trust is if I bring him something of value."

Sasuke was quiet for a moment while Naruto thought about it and the realization dawned. Naruto took a step back, his legs hitting the sofa. "You mean…you mean me."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but the answer was clear in his face.

"I wouldn't…consider it if there was another way, and like I said, we don't have to do this. We could wait this out, get you in some kind of safe house or maybe, I don't know, we could think of something, if I just had more time to make a plan I'm sure that I could –"

Suddenly, Naruto realized Sasuke was blabbing. It was the first sign he had shown that indicated the emotions that must have been broiling underneath that constantly cool exterior.

Naruto cut him off. "I'll do it."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Just like that? Don't you even want to consider it? This is risky. You could die. If I had longer, maybe I could find another way before Orochimaru realizes something's up and-"

"I said I'll do it." repeated Naruto, speaking over Sasuke's babble. "I can't wait. You and I both know Orochimaru will realize I'm off the drugs and start asking questions. And if I run…"

His mind filled with images of Sasuke with his throat cut, blood running down his dull, lifeless face.

_The Sasuke who has been working for Orochimaru this whole time_, he reminded himself, yet he couldn't shake the image and he shivered.

"Let's face it, if you helped me run or hide, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out you were involved, would it? With the tabs Orochimaru keeps on his employees, I expect it wouldn't need much digging before he finds out I spent Spring Break with you, would it?"

Sasuke looked away, suddenly very interested in the view out the window onto the front garden. "I can figure out a reason to give Orochimaru. You don't have to worry about me."

Naruto wasn't quite sure whether he should feel annoyed or relieved. His hot anger had long since faded. He settled for annoyed.

"You idiot. As if I'm going to let you take the fall for me while I run away and hide like a pratty coward."

Naruto sat down heavily on the sofa. "You're going to take me in. It's the only way."

He felt Sasuke's eyes on him, that searching look again.

"You realize how dangerous this is going to be, right? There's a strong chance we won't make it out alive. In your position especially…"

He didn't have to finish his sentence. Their imaginations were enough to paint the picture of what Orochimaru could do to a traitor. Naruto had a feeling his predictions weren't quite the same as Sasuke's.

He nodded. "I know the risks…but what about you? I didn't want to drag you into my mess." He scuffed the carpet with his foot, and couldn't help adding resentfully, "Seems you were getting on all right with everything."

Sasuke shrugged. "I knew the risks when I signed up. Besides, this day was inevitable for me with or without you in the picture. I only worked for Orochimaru to get the information I need. I wasn't planning to work with him forever. Your out is my out too."

He walked around the sofa and picked up the rest of the scattered pieces of paper. Putting them on the table, he sat down in the armchair opposite Naruto and looked at him.

"You realize though, this is going to require some acting on your part. If Orochimaru realizes it's a set-up we're both dead before we know it."

Naruto nodded. "Trust me. When it comes to crunch time, I can act."

"All right." sighed Sasuke, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Then, let's make this plan as foolproof as we can under the circumstances. I'd like at least some chance of survival."

* * *

><p><strong>Back to Present<strong>

So far, everything had gone surprisingly to plan.

"You weren't kidding when you said you could act." Sasuke muttered as he worked at the chains which wrapped around the arms of the chair. Metal knots were not easy to untie.

Naruto blinked. "Uh, thanks?"

Sasuke glanced at him, some emotion Naruto couldn't read was hidden in his dark eyes.

"I was afraid you wouldn't catch onto the two-way mirror, but your words earlier were pretty convincing, the whole betrayal thing."

Naruto squirmed slightly as the chains on his right arm fell away and Sasuke went to work on the other arm. "Oh…yeah…I, uh, guess you could say I was venting a little."

Sasuke nodded, not looking up as he pulled at the chain's metal links. "Yeah, I kind of got that from what you said." He paused, quiet for a moment, the only sound was the clinking of metal as the chains fell away. Sasuke went to work on Naruto's feet which seemed to have been tied to the chair with a thicker chain connecting in a large knot in the middle.

"You know you almost gave it away when you told me to be careful though. I thought Orochimaru would realize I was helping you."

Naruto shook his head, regretting it when his nose throbbed. "It's ok. Orochimaru would have thought I meant something else."

The chain came free and Naruto stood up carefully. He swayed, dizzy from the blood loss and Sasuke grabbed him, supporting him so he didn't collapse. After the dizziness passed Naruto pulled back slightly and grinned at Sasuke whose face was impassive. Only his dark eyes showed a storm of emotion.

"What would he have thought you meant?" asked Sasuke.

"Huh?"

"What would he have thought you meant?" repeated Sasuke. Naruto pulled away.

"It doesn't matter. Come on. You said we don't have much time, right? We should get out of here."

Sasuke held Naruto's arm, stopping him from going towards the door. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Naruto felt panic shoot through him. "Tell you what?"

"What Orochimaru was doing to you." Sasuke said the words quietly, but Naruto pulled back as if he had been burned.

"Kabuto told me." said Sasuke. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Naruto shrugged and looked down at the floor. "It wasn't important."

He began to walk towards the door. The feeling had come back into his legs after sitting in the chair for so long, but he walked unsteadily, lightheaded from blood loss.

Sasuke grabbed his arm, half-supporting him, half-stopping him from escaping.

"Bullshit it's not fucking important! What the hell were you thinking? If I'd known-"

Once again Naruto yanked his arm out of Sasuke's grip and turned on him. "You'd what? You wouldn't have gone through with the plan? It wouldn't have made a fucking difference. Torture, whatever, I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to this." He glared at Sasuke. "I don't need your fucking pity."

Sasuke grabbed his shirt. "You should have told me. I should have known. I should have…"

His words tailed off and he let go of Naruto, looking down. Sasuke stared at his hands, covered in spots of Naruto's blood. "I should have realized." He said again, looking back up at Naruto.

Naruto felt his anger fade. Sasuke looked…lost. He'd never seen that expression on his face. It didn't suit him.

"I'm…sorry." said Sasuke at last.

"It wasn't your fault." said Naruto. "You didn't know."

"But if I'd-"

"Just stop!" said Naruto. He grabbed Sasuke's shoulders, making him look at him. "Stop." He repeated in a softer tone. "Let's…let's leave the blame game till after the giant explosion, ok?"

Sasuke nodded, and his familiar focused expression returned. "You're right. Let's get the fuck out of here."

Naruto opened the door.

"But we're not finished talking, Uzumaki." said Sasuke.

Naruto grinned at him. "You got that right. I still need to kick your ass for calling me a 'distraction'." He stepped into the hallway followed by Sasuke who shut the door behind them. The corridor was clear.

"Ok. Which way?" whispered Naruto.

Then the sight of another door opening only a few feet away made both the boys freeze. Kabuto emerged from a nearby room, the room with the two-way mirror.

"Hello, boys." His glasses flashed, reflecting the light as he surveyed them calmly. "My, my, what an interesting development. It was like watching my own little melodrama."

Kabuto held a gun in one hand and a handheld radio in the other. Fuck. Had he already contacted Orochimaru? Naruto's heart sank. It was all over.

Kabuto smirked at Sasuke. "Orochimaru always did have a blind spot for you, Sasuke-_kun_." He said, putting emphasis on the nickname. "He does have the annoying tendency to play favorites."

Naruto could feel the waves of hate rolling off of the Uchiha as he glared at Kabuto, his entire body tensed.

"Fortunately," continued Kabuto. "I don't suffer from that problem, particularly after seeing your reaction to my words about your little blond friend earlier. I suppose even an Uchiha can't control his emotions all the time." Kabuto smirked. "You're not quite as skilled as your brother in espionage, are you? I highly doubt Orochimaru will be favoring his littlest Uchiha after this."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" snarled Sasuke.

Kabuto raised a brow. "There's so much you still don't know, Sasuke. You really think Orochimaru has told you the whole story?"

Sasuke took a threatening step towards the white-haired man. "Tell me what the fuck you're on about."

"Ah ah ah," said Kabuto, raising his gun. "You don't call the shots here, Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks.

"That's better. Now, down to business. Where is the bomb?" asked Kabuto

"Fuck you." was Sasuke's cool reply.

Kabuto's lips curved into a smile. "You'll be a fun one to experiment with."

His glasses flashed in the light as he turned to look at Naruto. "I'm afraid I won't be letting either of you leave here."

He raised the radio to his lips.

Time seemed to slow down. There was the sound of static as Kabuto hit the button on his radio, then it was drowned out by a thunderous roar. The entire building shook, the world rocking like an earthquake.

Sasuke grinned in grim satisfaction. The ammonium nitrate had exploded.

Kabuto tried to steady himself and Naruto took the chance, bulling forward and catching him hard in the stomach. Kabuto gave a grunt of pain and stumbled back, dropping the gun and radio. Sasuke was there in a flash.

Picking up the radio he hit Kabuto hard over the head. Again. And again. Kabuto went down, hitting the floor. His glasses went skidding across the concrete, but Sasuke didn't stop. He hit the unconscious man again and again, pure cold anger, raging in his coal black eyes until he felt a hand stop his arm and looked up to see Naruto's worried face staring back at him.

"That's enough, Sasuke." Naruto said. "We have to get out of here."

Sasuke's breathing was erratic, his shoulders heaving, but he stood up and back away from the man. A small pool of blood was gathering around his head where Sasuke had cut him with the force of his blows. Another explosion rocked the building and Sasuke became aware of the smoke that was billowing through the hallways. The chemical lab must be a flaming furnace by now filled with enough unstable chemicals to spread a fire through this building faster than you could breathe.

He swallowed and nodded.

"Let's go."

Naruto grabbed his arm, his eyes wide. "Wait, what about the human test subjects. We can't just leave them."

"They're in another facility," replied Sasuke, "Probably another warehouse. I heard Orochimaru say earlier. Now come on!"

He ran, Naruto following him down the twist of corridors, through the back storage rooms. The place was in uproar. Lab technicians and other workers were running to and fro, unsure of the protocol, what to do, where to go. They ignored Sasuke and Naruto in their panic, yelling at each other to grab equipment and get out. They must have known a different exit from Sasuke since most of them seemed to be running in various directions away from the main warehouse entrance. Sasuke suspected there were several unknown exits in this warren of a factory, but he wasn't about to gamble by following anyone else. He kept up a steady run for the main warehouse entrance he had come in by. Naruto jogged at his side. He coughed from the thick smoke. Coupled with his blood loss, he was afraid he was going to pass out, but he forced his mind to keep going as he kept up gamely with Sasuke.

Sasuke covered his mouth with his sleeve as he ran. The smoke was getting thicker and fire seemed to have spread throughout most of the building. Side corridors were ablaze with flames, a web of death waiting for anyone who got themselves trapped down the wrong one. Sasuke tried not to imagine what would happen if their only way out was blocked. They might end up burning with this place

The door to the warehouse entrance came into sight. Sasuke grabbed the handle and opened the door. He could see flames licking up the walls of one side of the abandoned factory room. He ran towards the huge metal machine which had hidden him before and checked the room. The small office had long since been abandoned. He turned back to Naruto. "It's ok. The coast is clear."

Sasuke didn't have time to question the look of horror on Naruto's face, before he felt an explosion of pain in the back of his head and fell to the ground. Stars burst in front of his eyes and the file containing his brother's information flew out of his jacket and skidded across the ground. It was stopped by a black boot. As Sasuke's vision cleared he found himself look up from the black boot to Orochimaru holding a gun. The man stood before him framed by a backdrop of roaring flames which were now lapping at the old dried out machinery. Old rubber conveyor belts were lighting up like Christmas trees, and traces of fuel left in the parts burst into flame. Daichi stood behind him, tapping a long metal pole in the palm of his hands. A large egg-sized lump had formed on his forehead and he sneered. Clearly, he hadn't been happy with Sasuke's treatment earlier.

Naruto stood in the doorway, torn. He couldn't go back since the hallway behind him was filling with flames, and of course that would leave Sasuke, but he couldn't go forward either. Not only was Orochimaru holding a gun, but Daichi was standing over Sasuke with a metal pipe and another taller, thinner man had another gun trained on him, gray blue eyes watching his every move. Must be Arata. He'd heard Orochimaru say the name earlier.

"It seems I underestimated you, Sasuke." said Orochimaru. He did not look pleased. He grabbed Sasuke's hair and lifted his head to look at him. "And here, I thought we could work things out professionally."

Sasuke glared at him. "So sorry to have disappointed you." He smirked. "Oh wait, no I'm not."

Orochimaru smiled at Sasuke and took a few steps back, raising the gun. As if it was nothing more than a mere afterthought he aimed it in Naruto's direction and fired.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

I know. I torture you all, but if I have time, I may just write the next chapter tomorrow. Depends how much sleep I get. If not, it'll be as soon as possible (within a week).

Just want to give a public kudos to Shiroxcat for pretty much calling it on the double agent thing, and other theories. ;D I also want to say thank you a HUGE bunch to Shiroxcat and happysue115 for the constructive criticism. I love getting the lovely reviews and comments from you all (I get so excited and happy!), but the constructive criticism is also totally invaluable and helps me see my weaknesses. Please don't be afraid to give it to me straight. I know I'm an amateur and I want to improve.

I want to reply publicly so that people will know the parts I intend to rewrite.

To happysue115: The jumping around in time was a real challenge for me to write. I couldn't figure out how to make it clear, so it helps a lot that you told me that. I'm going to try and find a way to go back and simplify that chapter when I have time. I might also try and add something to the Kabuto/Sasuke scene.

I'm hoping in answer to midnight-camilla, shiroxcat and happysue115's suggestions that the reasons for the half-baked plan, the lack of description of Naruto's and Sasuke's thoughts, and Sasuke's reasons for trying not to react to Kabuto's provocation are clearer now. I did want there to be red herrings in the story, but not so many that people could predict Sasuke would turn 'bad' nor for you to realize the rest of his more fully baked plan (hence why I couldn't go inside Naruto and Sasuke's heads so much). If it takes away from the story though, I might need to rethink it. What do you think?


	35. And Into the Fire

**AN: **Ok, lovelies, such kind reviews as ever! And since you wanted the next chapter, I just had to get up this morning and write one out. This one was easier to write with a clear head. Sorry it's short though. I'll get the next done when I have the chance.

Constructive criticism has been super super super super helpful, so thanks. :D

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 34: And Into the Fire

""Love: fact of bringing up a person into a high level of importance in your life."

~Yannick Heywang

* * *

><p>"Naruto!" yelled Sasuke. Naruto screamed in pain as the bullet shot into his leg, falling to the ground.<p>

"You _fucker_!" Sasuke struggled to his feet only to be hit again hard over the head by Daichi's steel pipe. Daichi grinned and dropped the pipe. He opened his jacket revealing a holstered gun and a radio.

He sneered at Sasuke. "Next time you decide to knock a guy out, you should take the time to tie him up, or at least take his radio. Not very smart for an Uchiha."

Sasuke kicked himself inwardly. He should have taken the time to do it instead of banking on the fact that Daichi would stay unconscious. What the hell was the man's head made of, iron? Most people would die from a giant metal hook to the head.

Orochimaru smiled and picked up the file at his feet.

"Everything you've worked so hard for, Sasuke-kun." He flicked through the papers. "All this information that you can never again obtain."

His eyes flashed and he glanced at the fire raging and growing behind him. The heat was immense as it rolled towards them in waves, and the flames had reached the top of the building. Smoke billowed across the high ceiling, so thick you couldn't see the roof.

"No." said Sasuke, panic shooting through him as he realized what Orochimaru was about to do.

"Say goodbye to your one chance of finding your brother." said Orochimaru and threw the file hard towards the fire. A few leaves of paper flew out of the file and were immediately caught in the hot air, soaring upwards. The thick file itself skidded under a flaming conveyor belt towards the edge of the flames which flowed rapidly towards it, licking at the paper, curling it in the heat.

"Better run and get it, Sasuke-kun, before it all disappears." Said Orochimaru.

Sasuke didn't even think. He grabbed the first thing that came to hand, and swung it behind him. Daichi grunted as he went down for the second time that day, and Sasuke was up in a flash. He ran past Orochimaru, not noticing the satisfied expression on his face. He scrabbled at the papers that were flying around and dove for the file. It had landed far under the machine. Heat encased him and he coughed, inhaling smoke as he tried to reach the file. His fingers brushed the manila card. The flames were already burning the corners, making it curl and turn black.

_Almost…there._

"You really should learn to prioritize, Sasuke." shouted Orochimaru above the roar of the fire. His voice sounded distant, further away.

Sasuke glanced round and froze. Orochimaru stood at the entrance of the warehouse, the gun still in his hand and a heavily bleeding, almost unconscious Naruto being supported under his arm. "Enjoy the file while you burn, Sasuke. After all, you worked so hard for it."

Arata, Orochimaru's thin henchman was already opening the warehouse door and disappeared through followed by the man himself. Sasuke could only stare as the door slammed, trapping him in the flaming warehouse.

He had time. He had time, right? He looked round at the file. The flames were half-covering it just out of his reach and flaming bits of rubber from the conveyor belt were falling on his head. If he got down flat and stretched his body to its longest length, he could probably reach it.

Yes, he could probably reach it. He could reach it, and by that time Orochimaru could be anywhere with Naruto. Sasuke gritted his teeth and made his split-second decision.

"Fuck it." He withdrew his hand pulled back. Scrabbling to his feet and dashing over to Daichi's prone body, he grabbed the gun from the man's holster and ran as fast as he could to the warehouse door. The large chain from before lay strewn on the ground. He pulled at the door. It was locked on the other side.

He gave a yell of frustration and lifted the gun, shooting at the offending door several times where the lock hopefully was. Lowering the gun, he pulled back and bulled into the door as hard as he could. It cracked open under his weight, the lock snapping from the combined force of his body and the impact of the bullets.

He swung the door aside and looked wildly around. Orochimaru was already on the other side of the industrial estate, over 20 feet away, dragging Naruto towards a large black van. Arata was inside at the wheel, revving the engine. Orochimaru was almost there. He opened the black door and made to push the struggling Naruto inside. There was no time. Sasuke felt dread rush through him. He didn't have time to get to them.

He lifted the gun in his hand. Balancing the barrel on his left wrist, he aimed. Naruto was still struggling, pushing Orochimaru in and out of Sasuke's crosshairs. Fuck, if Sasuke missed he could hit the blond. He tried to calm himself, tried to steady his breathing.

_Concentrate,_ he though. _Concentrate. Steady aim. Just keep it steady._

Sasuke let out a long breath and pulled the trigger.

It struck its target as Orochimaru cried out in pain as the bullet went through his shoulder, dropping his own gun. Arata heard the gun shot and looked round from the driver's seat in panic.

Sasuke shot again. This time hitting Orochimaru in the leg, and the man went down in a crumpled heap on top of Naruto.

Sasuke began running towards them. The black van skidded off with a screech of tires, the sliding door still hanging open. Arata obviously was not willing to get shot for his boss.

Naruto was still conscious, struggling with Orochimaru as they both scrabbled for the man's gun. Orochimaru managed to touch it first but not before Sasuke stamped down hard on his hand. The pale man looked up at him, undisguised hatred covering his features and blood rapidly soaking into his crisp, white shirt from the open wound on his shoulder.

"You will pay for this, Sasuke." He said in a hoarse voice.

"No, you will." said Sasuke. His face was impassive as he raised the gun and aimed it at Orochimaru's head.

"No." said Naruto. He had struggled to his feet, leaning heavily on his left leg while the other hung loosely at his side. Sasuke looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'No.'? This fucker deserves to die a thousand deaths."

Naruto shook his head. "No. Death is too easy. I want him to pay for what he's done. I want him in jail." Naruto glared at the bleeding man on the ground. "I want him to get fucking butt-raped by his little inmate friends every night."

Orochimaru sneered, but he turned to Sasuke.

"Looks like your little blondie doesn't want me dead, Sasuke."

"I don't fucking care." said Sasuke with a snarl. "This world will be better without you." Sasuke pulled back the hammer of the gun.

Orochimaru's yellow eyes betrayed no fear as he stared back at Sasuke.

"You've betrayed him enough times, don't you think?"

The words shot into Sasuke's heart like an arrow, and he hesitated as the sound of sirens filled the air. The explosion must have drawn the attention of the emergency services, and indeed, smoke and flame were rising out of the warehouses now in a cloud that could be seen for miles. Sasuke felt a hand on his arm. Naruto had limped over to his side. The effort showed clearly on his face. He was white as a sheet and his breathing was shallow, but he spoke.

"I don't want you…to become like him." He said, fixing Sasuke with his blue eyes. "And if you kill him, you'll go to jail. I don't want that. Please."

Sasuke clenched his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to blow this man's brains out, this disgusting man who had done this to Naruto, but he took a deep breath and lowered the gun.

"Fine." said Sasuke, "We do it your way."

Naruto smiled in relief. "Thank you."

Then the blond's eyes unfocused and Sasuke watched in horror as he collapsed on the ground.

"Naruto!" he yelled and crouched down at his side. "Fuck!"

Orochimaru began to laugh. It turned into a half-racking cough and he screwed his eyes up in pain.

"Ahh, it's just too precious." He grinned, pulling himself up into a half-sitting position and leaning on his good arm as Sasuke glared at him.

. "To think, he wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you." The grin widened into a leering smile. "You should have seen his face when I would threaten you, Sasuke-kun. He had that same protective look you have on now, that same determination, and it was always so much fun just to watch him break."

"Shut up." said Sasuke, standing up and tightening the grip on the gun in his hands.

Orochimaru continued.

"You should have seen how that determination would turn to such sweet defeat when I fucked him, every flinch when I touched him." His eyes lit up with sadistic pleasure. "I always considered it an achievement when I made him cry. It was so rare, so-"

"Shut the fuck up!" yelled Sasuke. Blood pounded in his ears. He shot up and brought the gun down heavily on Orochimaru's head. The man fell back, unconscious, mercifully quiet.

Sasuke wiped at his mouth where spittle had formed. He was sure he was going to be sick. He went back to Naruto's prone form and crouched down.

Naruto didn't move. Sasuke's hands trembled as he shook the unconscious boy.

"Oi, Naruto." He said and slapped at his face. "Wake up, you moron. Wake the fuck up."

He hit him harder, and Naruto's eyes flickered open. He groaned. "Sasuke."

"That's it, Naruto, stay awake, ok? I need you to stay with me, all right?"

"'m tired." Mumbled Naruto. The words came out slurred. Sasuke looked down at the wound in Naruto's leg. It was still bleeding heavily. The gun shot must have hit an artery. He pulled off his black jacket and pushed it down onto the laceration, trying to staunch the flow.

"Fuck." He said as he watched Naruto's eyes close again. "Naruto, wake the fuck up or I swear I'll kick your ass!"

Naruto's eyes flickered open again. He could see Sasuke's worried face above him. A mix of anger, fear and helplessness covered his features. Even covered in sweat, dirt and smudges of smoke, Sasuke managed to be ridiculously good-looking. This really should annoy Naruto, but all he could do was smile.

"You couldn't kick my ass if you tried, you pansy." He whispered.

A flash of relief passed over Sasuke's face when he heard the retort.

"Yeah, well, get through this and we'll find out once you're better, ok?"

* * *

><p>Naruto struggled hard to keep his heavy lids open. Man, he was so tired, so incredibly tired.<p>

"Hey, hey, Naruto!"

He could hear Sasuke's voice through the fog. "Sasuke," he murmured. "If I don't…"

He tailed off and started again. His thoughts were becoming a confusing jumble. "Take care of Gaara, ok, he-"

Sasuke cut him off..

"I'm not taking care of anyone because you're going to be fine."

But the usually confident teen's voice wavered slightly.

Naruto smiled and closed his eyes. "You're a pretty crap liar, you know that?"

The sound of the nearing sirens droned in his head, and Sasuke's voice faded as everything became a dull roar.

It had been so long since he'd slept soundly, so incredibly long, and Naruto sighed allowing himself to sink back into the welcoming arms of darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Yup, I just left you on a 'Is he dead or isn't he?' cliffhanger. I'm sick, sick and twisted. I make no promises either way. I did warn of possible character deaths at the beginning, and this fic is nearing its end. I'll get next chapter up as soon as I can though. :)

Also, I just had to tell people, the other night I went out partying with a bunch of friends and these random guys. People say the Japanese are reserved, but hell they know how to party. We sang karaoke at this bar and one of the guys performed a song. He danced in front of us, pulled off his shirt and trousers, wedgied himself with his own boxers and broke three sets of chopsticks with his buttcheeks, which he then presented to me. xD I of course didn't touch them so they sat on the table in front of me. Sooo gross! xD I felt so sorry for the staff who worked there, but it was hilarious and we were killing ourselves laughing. He wasn't bad to look at either, lol. I think I just got my very first chippendale style dance. I'm both disturbed and amused.


	36. A Life Without Color

**AN: **I've put the original chapters of 31, 32 and 33 up, or 32, 33 and 34 if you're looking at the drop-down menu. I really need to fix stupid prologue. It puts everything out of order

I would like to present my deliciously baked imaginary chocolate cake to Shiroxcat, Ichigo Kisses, Blackfang and Frecklefreak for your feedback on the versions. So yes, after some deliberation and as I continued to write the story, I felt version one would be better. I just couldn't quite forgive Sasuke if he betrayed Naruto that much, so I decided Naruto is definitely in on the plan. It works generally better for the story as it progresses, I think. Sorry for those who preferred it angsty!

Also a quick thank you to Frist for your review. I can't reply to anonymous reviews personally, so just wanted to stay thanks _so_ much for stopping by and taking the time to review! :D I appreciate it, and I'm really glad you're enjoying it, and it makes me happy that you considered this story good enough to take the time to review.

To everyone else, of course, thank you so much for your returning reviews! Seriously, they send my motivation sky high. I have been writing for about 6 hours straight. Agh, my eyes. Still, I've written a super-long chapter. Not only that, but I will be posting two more chapters either this evening or tomorrow, so keep an eye out. :D

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 35: A Life without Color

"People fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over. Yeah, I guess it is a friend."

~Jim Morrison

* * *

><p>There was no word Sasuke could use to describe this apartment complex other than drab. It was dull and gray, and without the blond walking down the hall beside him, it felt utterly lifeless. No chattering in his ear, no random references to video games and movies he'd never heard of. Without Naruto, this place descended into a vapid existence, devoid of meaning.<p>

Sasuke exhaled slowly as he arrived at the apartment door. Gray, of course, just like everything else in this unimaginative place. To think that Naruto had lived here for so long. It didn't suit the colorful, brash teenager.

He lifted his hand to knock when he realized the door was already open a crack. Sasuke pushed at it and knocked lightly as he entered the apartment.

"Hello?" he called out as he passed over the threshold. "Is anyone here? Shunsuke?"

There was no reply. The apartment remained in complete silence, the only sound was the traffic on the roads far below, flowing through the heart of the city. The living room and kitchen were completely bare. All the furniture was gone, the utensils, the TV, even the coffee table. The trash had been left, of course. It was scattered around the floor.

Sasuke walked over to Shunsuke's room, the one he and Naruto had searched together only a few days before.

Again, everything was gone. The filing cabinet drawers stood open and empty, and only the twisted dirty sheets still lay on the bed. Sasuke saw the empty boxes of board games lying on the ground. So, Shunsuke would know his papers were missing by now.

Sasuke shut the door and opened the other to what he assumed would be Naruto's room. This one had little furniture save for a night stand and a bed. It was cramped and small with a square window to let in the light. The mattress had been torn off the bed and a small, frog-shaped alarm clock lay smashed on the ground.

Sasuke crouched down and picked up the alarm clock, turning it over in his hands before placing it on the night stand. He left the room and walked back across the apartment. Shunsuke was obviously long gone. It was clear he had never cared about what happened to his foster child.

Sasuke took one last glance around the empty apartment before closing the door with a sigh.

He dug his hands into his pockets as he made his way back up the gray hallway to the elevator. He pressed the small square button with the downward-facing arrow on it. This trip had been pointless after all.

There was a small scuffling sound to his right, and a small figure disappeared behind a corner. Sasuke straightened up, pulling his hands out of his pockets.

"Who's there?" he said aloud.

There was no answer, but a shock of red hair peeped around the corner followed by a pair of big green eyes.

"Gaara." said Sasuke with relief. "You're still here."

Gaara moved out from behind the corner, but kept his distance from Sasuke. He held a small brown teddy bear.

"Why are you still here? Didn't your dad scarper like the rest of them?"

Gaara said nothing, merely giving a short nod.

Of course, realized Sasuke, the kid didn't speak.

Sasuke frowned. His dad had just left him here?

He crouched down and tried a smile.

"Why are you still here, Gaara?" he asked again.

Gaara pointed at himself and then at the floor.

Sasuke cocked a brow. What did that mean?

Gaara repeated the movement, and then tapped his wrist, looking at an imaginary watch.

Sasuke had to admit, this kid was pretty good at mime. Then it dawned on him and Sasuke's throat tightened.

"Naruto told you to wait, didn't he."

Gaara nodded, pulling the bear close to him and looking around Sasuke as if expecting Naruto to be hiding behind him, ready to jump out and surprise him.

Sasuke swallowed. "He, uh, he's not here, Gaara."

Gaara frowned. He pointed at himself and then at the imaginary watch on his hand.

"Yes, I know he said he would be here, but things, they got…they got complicated. They didn't happen the way we…the way I thought they would."

He shook his head and stared at the floor. "I'm so sorry. It was all my fault."

A shadow of impatience passed over Gaara's face. He pushed past Sasuke and looked up and down the hallway, eyes scanning for his friend.

"He's not here, Gaara."

Sasuke raked a hand through his hair. "I tell you what, I'll take you out of here. You can come home with me for now, ok?"

Gaara frowned and folded his arms. He shook his head.

"You can't stay here. Your dad is gone, right? Now come on." Sasuke walked towards the elevator doors.

Gaara ignored him, looking down the hallway again, searching.

Sasuke stopped in mid-step. "He's not coming, all right?" His voice cracked. "He isn't coming back."

Gaara stopped searching and looked at Sasuke, the question evident in his eyes.

Sasuke couldn't look back at those green eyes. He didn't want to see the disappointment. "I…I messed up."

He stared at the floor.

"Look, I'll take you to him, all right? We'll go see him together. How about that?"

Gaara nodded reluctantly and Sasuke was taken aback when the child slipped his hand into his own. For some reason, the little warm hand made him feel slightly better. He straightened up and pushed the elevator button a second time. They were going to go and see Naruto.

* * *

><p>"How is he?" asked Iruka as he lay a couple of books on the bedside table.<p>

Sasuke sat down in the armchair next to Naruto's bed. Gaara was playing with some puzzles on the floor.

Sasuke stared at the motionless figure in the bed. Naruto hadn't woken up since that moment he had fallen unconscious at the warehouse. His breathing moved in clockwork time with the machine that fed him air.

Up. _Whoosh_. Down. _Whoosh._

Sasuke hated that sound so much. He wanted to rip the machine off its hinges and to see Naruto breathing on his own, naturally like he was supposed to.

He turned back to Iruka.

"Doctors say he's still in critical condition." Sasuke paused, and glanced at Gaara who was busying himself with the puzzles, completely engrossed.

Sasuke lowered his voice. "Brain activity remains the same. If it continues this way..."

He tailed off.

Iruka bit his lip and nodded. "Well, all we can do is wait and hope."

Sasuke stared at the floor. Yeah, wait and hope. That felt so fucking useless.

Iruka's eyes softened looking at the teenager slumped in the chair. Sasuke so often acted like a tough adult, it was easy to forget how young he was, how confused. He cleared his throat.

"You've been here three days straight, Sasuke. How about I take care of things here a while and you go get some fresh air?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm staying here."

His words left no room for argument. Iruka rubbed the back of his head. "All right. It's up to you."

The mannerism sent a pang through Sasuke. _Just like Naruto,_ he thought.

"How about I take Gaara out for a while? We can go and get some ice cream, give you a break."

Gaara's face shot up at the sound of ice cream, and he stood up, walking over to Iruka and putting his hand in the man's own. The kid had taken a real shine to Iruka on his previous visits.

Iruka laughed. "I guess that settles it. Is it all right with you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded. "No problem…and thanks." He waved at Gaara. "See you later."

The red-headed child waved back silently and together he and Iruka exited the room, leaving Sasuke with the depressing sound of the machine recording Naruto's heart rate and the whoosh of the respirator.

He stood up and stared at the face of the blond. His nose was still swollen. Gaara had thought he was someone else when he first saw him, giving Sasuke an accusing look as if it was all a trick, but after a couple of days the swelling had gone down enough to recognize Naruto's features. He seemed smaller, younger somehow. It was like he was only sleeping. Maybe that was the part Sasuke hated the most. It always felt as if Naruto was just about to wake up. He'd had to be careful in front of Gaara.

Using the words 'brain dead' felt so final, and must even more so to a child. He didn't want to mention 'death' in any way in front of a five-year-old. No, no matter what the doctors said, he wouldn't admit Naruto was 'brain dead'. As far as he was concerned…Naruto was…'brain resting', that's it, just recharging. A second doctor had detected very faint brain activity, but too long under, and Naruto might lose even that, and never wake up.

Sasuke sighed and pushed one of the blond strands of hair out of Naruto's still face.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I…always called you the idiot, but turns out it was me."

There was no reply, just the monotonous sound of the respirator and the steady beeping of Naruto's heart rate.

Sasuke touched Naruto's shoulder. He always felt that if he just shook him, just a little that Naruto might wake up. Of course, considering his condition, he wasn't going to do that, so he settled for squeezing the shoulder tightly, hoping the message would get through.

"Wake up, ok, Naruto?" he said quietly. "Everyone wants to see you again. Sakura, Kiba, Neji, everyone. They want to see you awake the next time they stop by. They brought you stuff." He glanced around the room. "You could start your own apartment with all the junk visitors brought you, and you'll never go hungry for fruit again."

The nurses had brought in a special table for the mountains of presents that had been brought by people stopping by to check on Naruto. Sakura and Hinata had cried while the rest had stood around looking miserable. Staff from the school had come too, Mr. Ibiki and Mr. Iruka of course. People Sasuke had never even met came by and judging by their guilty expressions, some of them hadn't treated Naruto too well.

He turned back to Naruto, "I don't know if you realize it, but you've made everyone depend on you. They need you. Gaara needs you. I-"

He stopped short and let go of Naruto's shoulder, choosing instead to grip the metal barrier of the bed. He swallowed.

"_I_ fucking need you, all right?" His voice cracked. He lowered his eyes. "I swore…I swore I wouldn't depend on anyone after my brother, but you just had to get in there under my skin, didn't you?"

He glared at Naruto. "If you don't wake up, that's as bad as desertion, and you're not the type to desert people."

He leaned forward on the metal barrier and stared closely at Naruto's face. Strands of his own dark hair tickled the other boy's face.

"Do you hear me, Uzumaki? There are people here that need you, so wake the fuck up!"

There was nothing, not even the flicker of an eyelid. Naruto remained perfectly still.

Up. _Whoosh._ Down. _Whoosh._

Sasuke gave a growl of frustration and went back to the armchair, throwing himself down on it.

Wait and hope. Wait and hope. How was he supposed to wait and hope without exploding?

He curled his legs up on the armchair and rested his chin on his knees, watching the blond's chest rise and fall. This was all his fault. All his fucking fault.

* * *

><p>Everything was silent and black, but it was a peaceful darkness. Naruto felt he could lie in it forever. Sometimes there were voices, no meaning, no words, just a faint rumbling like thunder. But there was that one sound, it returned every now and again, constant and always jarring the sweet silence in his mind.<p>

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Naruto's eyes twitched. What _was_ that? It really needed to shut up and let him sleep. He hadn't set his alarm clock had he? No, it didn't sound like his frog alarm clock.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Ugh, it was so annoying. Naruto wrinkled his nose. Could someone make that stupid thing shut up?

There was a flash of light, and then a voice. "Wake up, Naruto."

The fox stood before his vision, glaring at him. "You've rested enough. It's time to wake up. It's time to recover."

The fox disappeared in another flash of light, making Naruto's head throb. He groaned inwardly. Ugh, now that he thought about it he had a huge headache. The beeping sound seemed to reverberate right through him. Speaking of aches, his leg was killing him, a strong, dull ache that wouldn't let up. He tried to move it. It wouldn't. He struggled to lift his eyelids so that he could see what was going on. They were so damned heavy. Why were they so heavy?

Sounds started becoming clearer. Along with that infernal beeping was the whoosh of air. Naruto felt a surge of panic, thinking back to the last time he'd heard that sound - in Kabuto's house, the man on the table. No, he couldn't be there. He couldn't be with Kabuto!

Naruto struggled even harder to open his eyes. He could feel his body now, his chest was rising and falling on its own.

_No, no, no. _

The weight from his eyes lifted and he managed to open them a crack. He was in a dark room, no lights. There was something on his face, in his throat. Ugh, it felt horrible. Fear coursed through him. He had to get out.

His arms felt like dead weights, but he pumped every ounce of energy into lifting them to touch the thing on his face. It was some kind of pipe, forcing the air into his lungs. He had to get it off, but it was stuck with some kind of tape. He let out a grunt as he yanked at the pipe. It made his body twitch and hot pain shot through his leg.

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat at the breakfast bar in his home, spooning cereal into his mouth. It was a bright summer's day. Naruto was grinning at him as he opened the fridge.<p>

"Morning, bastard." He said.

Sasuke just grunted his good morning.

"Geez," Naruto rolled his eyes. "Do you always have to be such a grump?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Do you always have to be so loud?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Naruto said with a grin, and then the grin faded. "Or would you prefer that I never speak again? Is that what you want, Sasuke?"

The sun outside dimmed and the room turned dark.

Sasuke stood up from the breakfast bar. "What's going on?"

He stared at Naruto and cold horror settled on him as the teenager changed before his eyes. The bright spikes of blond hair faded and drooped, the cheeks sunk and his face thinned. Then blood began to pour down his face, a wound on his leg opened up and he stumbled forward. Sasuke ran over to catch him, but couldn't reach in time. Naruto fell into a crumpled heap on the floor, groaning in pain.

"Naruto," said Sasuke as he crouched down at his side. "Naruto, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's not what I want. I was just joking. I was just…wake up, Naruto. Wake up!"

Naruto groaned again, and Sasuke woke with a start.

Sweat beaded his forehead as he stared around the hospital room. He glanced at the glowing hands on his watch. 12:14 a.m.

Fuck, he'd had a nightmare. That was horrible.

He swallowed and became aware of the dryness of his throat. His mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. He needed a drink. Sasuke stood up when he heard a soft moan. He froze, hardly daring to hope as he turned towards the sound. The figure in the bed was moving.

Immediately, Sasuke shot over to Naruto's side.

"Naruto." he said the name. Naruto's eyes were open, but he didn't notice Sasuke as he struggled to pull the pipe out of his mouth.

Fuck, this couldn't be another dream, could it?

_Please, please don't let it be a dream._ thought Sasuke.

He reached out with trembling hands and took hold of Naruto's wrists. They felt warm…and real.

Naruto finally noticed him, staring at him, his blue eyes still visible in the light that shone in from the hallway.

"You want the pipe out?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto kept staring, his blue eyes showing surprise.

"Ok." said Sasuke. "Give me a second."

He lowered Naruto's arms to his sides and went to the wall, quickly switching on the light. The room lit up with a hum, and Naruto squinted, closing his lids as he tried to get used to it.

"Nurse! Somebody! I need someone in here!" yelled Sasuke. He ran back to the bed. Naruto's eyes were shut.

"No, no, no, no." he said, panic shooting through him. "Don't close your eyes. Don't close your eyes, Naruto. Stay awake."

Naruto's eyes squinted open again and he frowned at Sasuke as if to say, _you just turned on a super bright light, you bastard, what did you think I was going to do?_

At least, that was the voice Sasuke heard in his head. He smirked for the first time in days.

"Sorry about the light."

A petite dark-haired nurse came in. She didn't ask any questions once she saw Naruto's condition, going straight over to him.

"He's awake." She said in astonishment. She checked the machine readings, then Naruto's pulse and finally shone a light in his eyes which Naruto didn't seem too happy about.

"He wants the respirator off." said Sasuke. Naruto looked at him gratefully.

"Of course." said the nurse. "Everything seems normal. I think we're safe to take it off."

She removed the tape carefully and pulled out the plastic pipe. Naruto gagged as it made its way up his throat, but finally it was out. He choked as he took in air, the sterile smell of the hospital invaded his lungs, so different to the pure oxygen he'd been inhaling, but he didn't care. It felt better to be able to breathe on his own.

"Ugh." He groaned. His voice was raspy and hoarse. It hurt.

"I'm going to alert the doctor." said the nurse, surprise still written all over her face. "If there are any sudden changes, please press the alarm." She indicated to the red switch dangling down the side of Naruto's bed.

"Thank you." said Sasuke with a nod, and the nurse left in a rush, leaving the two teens alone in the room.

The nurse had finally switched off those irritating machines and the room filled with an odd silence.

Sasuke looked at Naruto. Naruto looked at Sasuke.

Sasuke for his part was drinking in the sight of Naruto actually being awake. He'd begun to think it would be too late for any chance of recovery. To see him here, now, looking back at him, completely conscious...

Sasuke cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling?"

"Rough." Naruto's voice was a hoarse whisper.

"I'll bet."

"Where am I?" asked Naruto trying to look around, but he was unable to move much.

Sasuke pulled a chair over to the bedside and sat down. "You're in Konoha Hospital. Do you remember what happened?"

Blurred images flashed through Naruto's mind. Being shot. He fucking hell remembered that. The ache in his leg wouldn't let him forget anytime soon.

He remembered flames and being dragged towards a black van. Then, it was kind of a blur. Orochimaru had been lying on the ground. Naruto remembered Sasuke holding a gun and then…then darkness.

He focused back on Sasuke. He was almost afraid to ask. "Orochimaru?"

Sasuke set his mouth in a grim smile. "He's in jail, being held for counts of drug dealing, murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping and about a million other charges." His dark eyes showed satisfaction. "We did it, Naruto. You did it. There was enough evidence in those warehouses to put him away forever along with a lot of the people working for him. Some files were destroyed in the fire, but enough survived."

"The people? Test subjects?" asked Naruto, struggling to get the words out.

Sasuke nodded. "They're safe. They were held in another part of the industrial estate. Turns out Orochimaru had been kidnapping homeless off the street and subjecting them to experiments with the drug."

Naruto nodded, relief flowing through him. Then another thought struck him. He frowned. "Kabuto."

Sasuke tapped his fingers on the metal barrier on Naruto's bed, stalling for time. This was the part he hadn't wanted to tell him. Or at least, not till he'd had a chance to fully adjust. "We left him unconscious in the warehouse, Naruto. There were…there were some casualties. I'm afraid that not everyone got out of the fire. The firefighters found…bodies."

Naruto looked away, staring at the blankets in front of him. He had been partly responsible for people's deaths.

"Hey," Sasuke leaned forward, placing himself in Naruto's vision. "You're not allowed to feel guilty, Uzumaki. Those criminals were killing and hurting other innocent people. We saved lives by doing what we did. That's what you have to remember. Besides, I'm the one who rigged the explosion. You had nothing to do with it."

Sasuke moved back, relaxing back into his chair. He had tried to feel guilty about the people who had died, but knowing what they had been doing...

He sighed.

"Orochimaru is off the streets and those people being subjected to experiments…well, their torture is over. At least…"

He trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence aloud. At least, their torture _would_ be over if they could get off the drug. Surely, they could do it with a bit of help.

Naruto nodded, not noticing Sasuke's abrupt cut-off. His eyes were drooping as he struggled to stay awake.

The last thing he saw was Sasuke's concerned face staring into his.

"Oi, Uzumaki, don't go to sleep for too long, all right?"

He smiled to himself. Right now he figured he could do with a well-earned rest.

* * *

><p>Naruto could feel sunshine warming his face and see the light through his closed lids. It was the sound of excited whispering that woke him.<p>

"Keep quiet, Ino. He needs to rest." said a soft voice.

"I am being quiet." whispered another voice, albeit a loud, annoyed whisper. "But don't you think he's slept enough?"

"Being close to brain dead isn't sleeping." said another bored-sounding voice.

Naruto's eyes flickered open. At the foot of his bed stood a whole crowd of his friends - Ino, Sakura, Shikamaru, Neji, Hinata and Kiba.

"Shikamaru would know. He's the expert on sleeping." said Kiba with a snicker.

Sakura's eyes widened as she noticed Naruto. "He's awake." She said, awe in her voice.

Then all eyes turned on him. Naruto felt a little uncomfortable as they stared. He tried a small smile.

"Hey, guys."

There was a squeal from the girls as Ino and Sakura rushed over to him. He winced in pain as they hugged him. They drew back immediately.

"Sorry." said Sakura.

"We're just so happy to see you awake." added Ino.

Everyone crowded around his bedside.

Neji was smiling, full-on smiling. Naruto couldn't help wondering if he was still unconscious and dreaming.

"It's good to see you awake, Uzumaki." He said. "We were worried."

Hinata stood behind him and nodded. Tears were rolling down her face.

"Why are you crying?" asked Naruto automatically.

The girl turned bright red and lowered her head. "I'm j-just h-h-happy."

Girls were odd.

A hand descended on his shoulder, making him wince again. Kiba grinned down at him. "I knew you'd recover. I just knew it. You're too badass to let something like dying stop you."

Naruto's eyes widened. "I died?"

"Didn't you know?" asked Ino.

Naruto shook his head slightly, then regretted it as it throbbed like crazy.

"You died on the way to the hospital." said Neji quietly. They tried to revive you with a blood transfusion when you arrived, but by that point you were too far gone. You were actually declared brain dead."

Shikamaru frowned. "Even doctors make mistakes. I disagreed with them, as did Sasuke. We got a second opinion, and it turns out you had faint brain activity, so we waited. Good thing we did. Otherwise they might have turned off the life support machine."

There was the sound of movement in the corner, and Naruto realized Sasuke was sitting in the same armchair he'd had at his bedside before. The boy stood up and their eyes met.

Naruto blinked as he tried to take this all in. He had died? He might never have come back if not for Sasuke.

"Why didn't you tell us, Naruto?" Neji was watching him, a shadow of disappointment in his pale eyes. "We could have helped you."

Naruto felt cold fear rush through him. They knew? How much did they know?

"How do you…?" He couldn't finish the sentence.

Kiba scratched the back of his head. "It's all over the news, and Sasuke filled us in on the details. You and him pretty much singlehandedly brought down Orochimaru's drug ring."

Kiba grinned. "That's totally awesome, man."

Sakura shook her head. "I still can't believe that a teacher at _our _school was a drug dealer, a _murderer_."

"I can." said Ino, wrinkling her nose. "That Orochimaru was a creeper."

Kiba's grin fell. "I can't believe the fucking police did nothing about it."

Shikamaru nodded. "It came to light that you had tried to go the police, Naruto, and they turned you away." He scowled, a rare emotion on his usually indifferent face. "My father works in that precinct, and all I can do is apologize on his behalf that you were turned away. They're doing an internal investigation to find out exactly who was responsible for discarding an official report of the crime, and trust me when I say those cops will be thrown off the force faster than you can blink."

Kiba butted in again. "Of course we heard you were in hospital. We all came here, and uh, let's say I had a bit of a falling out with Sasuke…"

Naruto smirked. He could imagine Kiba storming into the hospital room in angry mode, shouting at the other teen.

"Sasuke told us you had been forced onto drugs by Orochimaru." said Neji. He sighed. "I wish you'd told us."

Naruto frowned. "I'm sorry. I couldn't."

Shikamaru nodded, looking serious. His sharp eyes seemed to see right through him. "You were in a difficult position. I understand. I would have done the same thing."

Naruto relaxed at Shikamaru's words, relief flooding through him. It felt somehow incredibly good to hear someone say that. "Thank you."

Hinata spoke up, still tucked safely behind Neji. "Y-you were p-protecting us, weren't you? S-s-saving us from getting i-involved."

Naruto reddened at the words. She didn't need to make it sound so noble. Really, he was just trying to survive and stop everyone else from getting in the same position.

"Idiot." said Kiba. "I would've kicked Orochimaru's stupid pale ass if I'd known. I still would if I could. He fucking shot you. I hope he rots in jail for the rest of his pathetic life."

"And I would've helped." said Ino, her mouth set in determination. "That asshole."

Naruto smiled. In all honesty, he had never expected there could be any kind of happy ending to all this shit that had gone on, but now he was here, surrounded by his friends who genuinely cared about him. Every one of them were safe and here he was, still alive, Orochimaru in jail. There was…hope again.

He closed his eyes. This was a moment he wanted to savour. When he opened them it was to the sight of many pairs of eyes looking back with concern.

"Are you ok?" asked Sakura.

"Fine." said Naruto with a grin. It hurt his face to smile, but he didn't care. "More than fine."

Shikamaru's eyes flickered towards Sasuke who still stood waiting in the corner. "I think we should let Naruto get some rest."

"What?" said Kiba. "But we've barely been here ten minutes!"

"We'll have a chance another time and every other day from now on." replied Shikamaru. "Naruto is still in early recovery. We shouldn't exhaust him too much."

He shifted a backpack on his shoulder. They had come straight from school.

"Come on." He said, exiting the room. The others began to follow reluctantly, grinning at Naruto as they left.

"Get well soon." said Ino.

"It's good to see you awake, Naruto." said Sakura with a soft smile. Naruto felt a flutter in his chest.

Hinata waved a silent goodbye and Neji gave him a nod, smiling.

Kiba was the last to leave. He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll come back tomorrow then. I'm bringing video games. This place is too boring, no colours, no nothing."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Kiba."

"See you tomorrow! Try not to get into any trouble before then." He smirked and waved as he ran out of the room, following the others.

Sasuke and Naruto were left alone, and the atmosphere felt suddenly tense.

Sasuke came over to the bedside.

"Uh, do you need anything?"

Naruto became aware of his parched mouth. "Water would be good."

Sasuke nodded. There was a just on the stand next to his bed. He poured a glass and lifted it to Naruto's mouth.

"It's ok, I can…" began Naruto, raising his hand.

"You need to save your strength." said Sasuke.

Naruto let his heavy arm drop back down and relaxed. "Ok, thanks."

He took a few sips of water, exerting all his energy just to raise his head enough to swallow. Man, it sucked feeling this weak.

"Seems like you're always on nurse duty with me." He said.

Sasuke grunted, but didn't reply.

Naruto flopped back onto the pillow when he was done and stared ahead. He could see a table covered in a mound of colorful objects. There were baskets of fruit, large presents wrapped in gaudy paper, boxes, bags, so many things.

"Wow." He said.

Sasuke followed his gaze. "Yeah." He agreed. "People have been worried about you."

Naruto looked at Sasuke in wonder. "What people?"

Sasuke shrugged and put the glass back down on the bedside stand. "All kinds of people. What we did drew a lot of media attention. You've had visitors from the school, but also people from all over Konoha. Of course, they couldn't come in, but they left gifts and asked after you. The press were hounding the hospital too. I wouldn't be surprised if they're still out there, and they'll probably want to talk to you now that you're awake." Sasuke smirked. "Looks like you've become a bit of a celebrity in this town. They're calling you an 'unsung hero.'"

Damn, that was cheesy.

Naruto bit his lip. Being praised was nice and all, but he'd kind of hoped to keep all this quiet.

"Do they…" he couldn't quite finish the sentence. He tried again, looking up at Sasuke. "Do they know?"

Sasuke's smirk faded.

"I haven't told anyone the details yet about…what Orochimaru did. Not even Neji and that lot know." He paused. "Police _will_ want you to be a witness in court, Naruto. Your statement is one of the most important."

_Of course,_ thought Naruto, a numbness settling on him. The whole affair was going to be found out, every ugly detail and he would have to live through it all again in the public eye.

He swallowed and nodded.

"I think though…" continued Sasuke, "We could ask them to keep certain details confidential. There's no need for it all to go public."

"That…would be good." replied Naruto. He didn't exactly want the whole world knowing he'd been sexually abused. He would hate to see his friend's faces if they knew, the pity that would be there, that awkwardness and sympathy. No, if possible, he'd like to keep that information under wraps.

"I'm sorry…" said Sasuke.

Naruto looked up. Sasuke was staring at the beige blanket on Naruto's bed, his head hanging down and his black hair falling into his eyes. Naruto noticed then how messy the usually perfectly-styled layers looked, the dark circles under Sasuke's eyes.

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

Naruto frowned. "You don't have to be sorry. You didn't know. Besides it wasn't your responsibility."

Sasuke clenched his fists. "I _should_ have known. If I'd opened my eyes a bit more, I would have realized. I mean, it was obvious you were going through some shit, but I just…ignored it."

Naruto felt irritation fill him at the guilty expression on Sasuke's face. "Look, I made the decision myself, and don't go all bigheaded thinking this was all about you. I was protecting my other friends too." He paused. "Besides, I made my own mistakes. I worked for the money without asking questions about what I was getting into. When I realized it was too late. If I hadn't done that, I probably would never have been in this position either, so don't go putting all the blame on you."

Sasuke shook his head. "I betrayed you."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "_You_ saved me."

Sasuke didn't move, didn't reply, and Naruto pulled on his last reserves of energy. He lifted his arm and grabbed Sasuke's wrist. Sasuke glanced down at his hand and then up at Naruto in surprise.

"Listen to me, Uchiha. You saved me. Hell, twice. First at the warehouse, and then you didn't let them turn off the life support machine. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead twice over, so save your guilt, ok?" Naruto looked at him intently. "Save it for putting Orochimaru behind bars for the rest of his life. He's the one we should be blaming. He played both of us. You got that? I'm not letting go until you agree with me."

Sasuke gave a slow nod, and Naruto pulled his hand back gratefully, letting it flop on the covers. He felt exhausted.

Sasuke didn't say anything for a few moments. He seemed to be battling with himself as he looked around the room, anywhere but at the other teen in the bed. Finally, his gaze settled back on Naruto.

"You know, Shunsuke is gone."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Gone?"

"Yeah, he packed up and left, probably trying to avoid the backlash of the law. Gaara's dad too."

A rush of horror swept through Naruto. How could he not have thought of Gaara till now? He began to sit up, trying to push himself off the bed. "Gaara!"

Sasuke put his hands on his shoulders. "It's fine. He's fine. He's here, or well, he was a while ago. He went out with Mr. Iruka."

Naruto allowed himself to be pushed back into a lying position. He relaxed slightly. "Mr. Iruka?"

Sasuke nodded. "He's been visiting every day. He takes Gaara out a lot, gives him a change of scenery since I don't lea-" He cut himself off, not finishing the sentence. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I realized that you won't have a place to stay now."

Naruto hadn't thought of that. His body suddenly felt ten times heavier, and despondency settled on him as he stared dumbly ahead. He'd have to go back to the home, back with all those kids, leaving all his friends behind, just when things had gotten settled here.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "That's why I thought that…maybe…that you could stay-"

He was interrupted as someone entered the room.

Both boys stared in astonishment when they saw who it was.

The school nurse. Naruto couldn't even remember her name. Her pretty face crumpled as her eyes landed on the blond teenager lying in bed. She nodded her thanks to the nurse that had escorted her in and came over tentatively to Naruto's bedside.

"N-naruto Uzumaki, isn't it?"

She sounded so unsure as she addressed him.

Naruto nodded dumbly.

The woman spoke in a subdued voice. "I'm not sure if you'll remember me. I'm Akino. I work as the school nurse at Konoha High."

Naruto nodded again. "I remember."

Akino bit her lip. "Of course you do. Of course you do. It's me that…"

Both Sasuke and Naruto were taken aback as tears sprang into her eyes and began dripping down her cheeks.

"Naruto, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have realized. I should have done something. If I had none of this would have happened. That day when you came to my office…"

She trailed off.

Naruto was at a loss for words. This woman he barely knew had come in and was blaming herself for everything that had happened? Not only that, but tears were pouring down her face. He felt distinctly uncomfortable and just a little guilty. He remembered the anger he'd felt towards her when he left the office. It hadn't been her fault. Of course it hadn't. This blame game was getting out of hand.

He raised his head slightly off the pillow. "It's ok, there was no way you could have known. Please don't blame yourself."

The woman frowned then, creating a small crinkle between her brows. "I most certainly should have realized. The signs were there. You didn't want to be left alone with him, and I-" She sniffed and Sasuke grabbed a tissue from the bedside stand handing it to her.

"Thank you." She said, taking it from him. "I don't deserve such kindness. I deserve to go to jail."

She wiped her slightly reddened nose with the tissue and dabbed at her eyes. "Did he…did he hurt you while you were in my office, Naruto? I remember I heard noises and…"

Naruto looked away then, unable to meet her concerned brown eyes. He didn't want to remember that day. He could feel Sasuke's watching him too. Naruto knew he was remembering that day in chemistry class now in a whole new light.

Fresh tears flooded Akino's face as the realization hit her, connecting the dots between what the news had said about the situation and what could happen with an immoral man who had a minor completely under his control.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto." she whispered. "I can't tell you how sorry I am."

She shook her head. "I'll resign immediately and support you in whatever way I can in bringing that awful man to justice."

Naruto's hand twitched on the covers. "Please, that isn't necessary. You were doing your job. You did nothing wrong and there's no way you could have known."

Akino sniffed. "No, I should never have left a student unattended with only one adult. I should have been there despite what I thought was appropriate. I have to resign."

A sickening feeling swept through Naruto. "Please don't."

He searched for something, anything that would convince her. "You smiled at me that day, you were one of the first adults who was ever kind to me. If you left that school, it would be worse off, so please…don't leave. It would make me unhappy and you don't want that, right?"

Akino's eyes widened in astonishment. She didn't speak for a few moments at a complete loss for words. Then,

"You…are a truly amazing person, Naruto."

Naruto reddened. What was with all the compliments today?

She wiped the last of the tears from her eyes and set her pink lips in determination. "Well, when you put it that way I suppose I don't have a choice. I will have to come forward though and there's a chance I will be fired, but…I'll do my best and I'll help you however I can." She paused. "Naruto, if you ever need anything, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask me, ok?"

Naruto smiled and nodded back. "Sure, thank you…Akino."

Akino smiled for the first time since she'd entered and it lit up her face despite the red blotches on it from crying.

There was a noise at the door and she turned. Naruto glanced towards the doorway to see Iruka. Half-hidden behind him, there was a shock of red hair. Gaara peeped out shyly at him, his trusty teddy bear held in his hands.

"Gaara." said Naruto, grinning widely. A glow of happiness filled him on seeing the small boy.

Gaara let go of Iruka's hand and ran towards Naruto. He pushed past the space between Akino and the bed and leapt up, hugging his friend.

Naruto laughed even as he winced in pain from the sudden weight on his chest.

"Careful, Gaara." said Iruka. "He's still fragile."

Naruto smirked. Fragile was never a word he'd considered using for himself. He glanced at Sasuke, whose expression said he was thinking the same thing.

"Nice to see you, Mr. Iruka." said Naruto over the red hair that tickled his chin.

Iruka smiled warmly, his brown eyes lighting up. "It's even nicer to see you awake, Naruto."

His gaze moved to Akino then. "And you have a visitor?"

Akino didn't reply, didn't even react to Iruka's open question. She was standing stock still, her eyes transfixed on the small red-haired boy who was currently staring at Naruto as if the world would end if he stopped.

"Gaara?" she whispered.

Naruto frowned. "You know him?"

At the mention of his name, Gaara turned round to look up at her warily.

Still, Akino stared at him. "It's not possible." She took a step forward and the boy moved back, pressing himself against the side of Naruto's bed.

"I think you're scaring him. Maybe you should back off a little." said Sasuke.

"Gaara," said Akino. She crouched down, ignoring Sasuke's words. "Do you remember me? Can you…?"

Yet again, tears flooded the woman's eyes. "Gaara, it's me. I'm…I'm your mother."

Silence filled the room as the weight of the words sank in. Naruto gaped.

"What? That's not possible. Gaara's mom, she, well, she passed away."

Akino looked up at him and flash of anger passed over her face, but it was not directed at Naruto. "Is that what _he_ said? That…that…_monster_."

Her eyes returned to Gaara. He continued to stay pressed up against the bed, his small hand touching Naruto's for security.

"Your father took you away from me. I…I was going to leave him. I wanted to protect you, but before I could…he stole you away. He kidnapped you."

Tears ran down her face. "Gaara, I tried to find you. I never gave up looking for you. I went to the police, I went to the media. Everyone. I…"

She broke off into a sob and shook her head. "I can't believe you're here, and you don't even know me."

Gaara finally let go of Naruto and took a step forward. He touched the woman's arm uncertainly. It reminded Naruto so much of the day he'd approached him in the hallway, that day he'd been so depressed.

The woman looked at him in surprise. Gaara dug into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He unfolded it, revealing the photograph that had been in his apartment, the photograph in the frame Naruto had shattered. Gaara had fixed it with a piece of tape. He held up the photo next to Akino's stunned face and looked at it.

The same face stared back at him in the photo. It looked different, slightly younger, happier, fewer lines, but it was undeniably the same.

Gaara drew in a sharp breath and his big green eyes drank in the vision before them.

Akino gave a tentative smile. "It's nice to see you again, Gaara."

This time it was Gaara's eyes that filled with tears and he threw himself into Akino's arms. The woman almost fell over, but managed to stay upright, laughing as she wrapped her arms around her long-lost son. The joy in her face was incomparable. The years seemed to fall from her face, and in that moment, she looked just like her old photo, young, happy and carefree.


	37. Not All Houses are Homes

**AN: **Here's the next chapter for you, my lovelies, as promised. :) Thanks to Guest for your review (since I can't reply by message). :D I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! It's so gratifying to know that the story sucked you in, and was able to make you feel so many emotions! :D Thanks for taking the time to review and tell me.

Enjoy the chapter, sweet ones. There's a little announcement at the end. :D (Haha, I'm sorry I give you guys such creepy nicknames! I mean it affectionately.)

* * *

><p>Cloud Cover<p>

Chapter 36: Not All Houses are Homes

"A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body."

~Benjamin Franklin

* * *

><p>Five days later.<p>

Naruto was sitting up in bed, reading yet another of the books Iruka had brought him when the man himself walked in with a moody-looking Sasuke. Hell, that boy always looked moody. Naruto wasn't entirely sure why he always visited. Of course, he'd been forced to go back and attend school, but he always hung out in Naruto's hospital room straight after. Usually, he'd sit in silence and study. It was odd, but comforting and Naruto had gotten used to having his presence always around. There was a kind of unspoken bond between them after all they'd been through, and Naruto had a feeling that it was something that would never fade.

Iruka grinned as he saw the book in Naruto's hands. "You're onto the second one already, huh?"

Naruto grinned back. "Harry Potter might just be the best book ever written."

Iruka nodded. "It's not exactly deep, but it's an all-around great read and fun adventure. I thought you'd enjoy it."

He pulled up a chair at Naruto's bedside while Sasuke flopped down in his usual spot on the armchair in the corner, pulling out his homework.

"How's Gaara doing?" asked Naruto.

"Really well." replied Iruka. "I don't think he could be any more happy these days. It's still going to take a lot of issue-sorting with those two. Gaara's been through a lot, being brought up by an abusive father, but I think there's a chance of normal development from here-on out." He settled himself in the chair. "In fact, according to Akino, he's starting to speak more."

Naruto grinned. "That's amazing."

"Of course, he misses you, and they'll probably be stopping by again tomorrow."

Naruto hid a smug smile. He was incredibly happy for Gaara, but he couldn't help feeling just a tiny bit jealous of the affection he now showed towards his mother. She had become his world now.

"Actually, Naruto." said Iruka, leaning forward. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

Naruto set his book down next to him on the nightstand.

"Sure, I'm all ears."

Iruka smiled gently. "Well, your recovery is going well. After a couple more weeks it's likely they will discharge you from the hospital. Then after that, there's going to be physical therapy, general aftercare and so on. I believe social services has already informed you of a possible plan."

Sasuke looked up from his homework, speaking for the first time since he'd entered the room. "I wasn't aware of this."

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke who was frowning, his pale lips set in a thin line.

"They visited while you were at school." Naruto dropped his gaze to the beige blankets covering him. He had been trying not to think about all that. It was easier living in the moment. Social services had approached him with a plan for staying in a special treatment center until he was fully recovered. Then it was back to the home. He would have to leave, and that feeling sent a numbness through him he didn't want to face.

Iruka shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "There is, however, another alternative. I don't know if you'll like it though, and of course, if you're not interested you can feel free to say. Your honest opinion is what I want to hear."

Naruto looked up. _Another alternative?_

Iruka scratched the back of his head. "Well, uh, you see, I was thinking that, you know, if you wanted, you could perhaps stay with me."

There was a rustle of paper as Sasuke's homework fell to the floor.

Naruto stared at Iruka in surprise. "Stay with you?"

"Only if you want to." said Iruka, the words coming out in a rush. "Of course I understand if you don't. I'm just your teacher and you don't really know me all that well, and maybe you want to go back to your old familiar surroundings, so you know, it's just a suggestion that I-"

"Yes." said Naruto.

Iruka stopped. "Yes?" he repeated.

Naruto grinned. "Are you kidding? I would freaking _love_ to stay with you."

Iruka was still shocked "Really?"

"Of course! I mean, if you're really okay with having me."

Iruka's grin matched, if not surpassed Naruto's own. "I'd love it."

He hesitated. "I mean, I won't try to be replacing your parents or anything, but I guess, I already see you as a kind of, uh, well you know, son-like kid, so you are welcome in my home for as long as you want to stay there."

Naruto felt tears prick at his eyes. Fuck, he wasn't going to tear up. He musn't tear up. That was such a pathetic move.

"Thanks, Mr. Iruka."

Iruka smiled. "You can drop the mister when we're not in school."

Naruto laughed. "Ok then…Iruka." That felt odd, but he could get used to it.

Iruka stood up. "Well, if that's the case, I'd better get to work on preparations. There'll have to be legal work for fostering and I'll have to arrange your room."

He scratched his head. "I'll uh, see you tomorrow, Naruto, and I'll come back with updates on the legal process first thing after school, ok?"

Naruto nodded, a grin still plastered on his face. "Ok, see you tomorrow."

Iruka left, and Naruto turned to Sasuke who sat silently in the corner.

"Can you believe it, Sasuke? I don't have to go back to the hellhole." He corrected himself. "I mean, the children's home."

Sasuke nodded, his expression indifferent. "That's great."

Naruto quirked a brow at the dispassionate tone. "Well, no need to sound too happy for me."

Sasuke stood up and began putting his homework away. "No," he said, "It really is great, Uzumaki. I'm glad you've found somewhere you want to live."

"Thanks." said Naruto, then he frowned as Sasuke shouldered his backpack, "Where are you going?"

Sasuke looked at him. His coal black eyes seemed somehow darker under his silky brows.

"I remembered I left my essay at home. It's due tomorrow, so I have to go finish it." He waved a brief goodbye as he exited the room. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok." said Naruto, still frowning. He pouted slightly as he grabbed the book back off his bedside. It's not like it made much difference anyway. Sasuke barely spoke when he was here, but it still felt weird to be passing a night without him. He opened the book to the last page he'd read. Still, Sasuke hadn't needed to leave so abruptly. What was his problem?

Naruto relaxed back as he fingered the pages of his book, a warm glow of contentment filled him. It didn't matter. He, Naruto Uzumaki, had a home.

* * *

><p>Sasuke unlocked the door and stepped over the threshold into his hallway. Darkness and silence filled the house, only the shadow of the great mahogany staircase greeted him, looming up into the even darker upper stories of the Uchiha estate.<p>

He turned on the hall light and dropped his keys into the usual green plate on the dresser. Shrugging off his coat, he hung it on the coat rack and made his way through to the kitchen, flicking on lights as he went. Usually, he loved the dark. Tonight it felt oppressive.

Sasuke took a carton of apple juice from the fridge and filled a glass. Seating himself at the breakfast bar he pulled his homework out of his bag and stared at it. That essay excuse had been pretty flimsy.

He rewound Iruka's words in his head.

"_I was thinking that, you know, if you wanted, you could perhaps stay with me."_

Sasuke's grip on his glass tightened.

Of course, it wasn't like Sasuke _wanted _Naruto to stay with him. Yeah, he was going to invite him to live here, but only out of consideration because Naruto had nowhere else to go. It's not like he couldn't survive without the blond being around 24/7. He was Sasuke Uchiha. He thrived on being alone.

The white clock on the kitchen wall ticked, a jarring sound in the cold silence.

Yes, Sasuke would be perfectly all right here on his own. He'd lived here for months by himself.

He gulped down his apple juice and placed it on the breakfast bar.

The clock continued to tick, making the room seem somehow even more empty.

Sasuke stared at his empty glass.

…

Damn Iruka for getting there first.

**The End...or is it?**

_Pffft! Of course it's not. Please read the author's note below for details. :)_

* * *

><p>Oh, poor, stupid, in-denial Sasuke. :(<p>

**AN Announcement:  
><strong>

As I said this story was finishing soon. In fact, my lovelies, this is the** last chapter**! :O However, as many of you so rightly pointed out, there are still _sooo_ many unanswered questions and OF COURSE, where the HELL is the sasunaru!? Well now, of course, I apologize there wasn't really any in here, only the barest, tiniest hints of feeling. I did plan to incorporate some, but with Naruto's traumas and the resulting 'taking-down-of-a-giant-drug-ring' adventure, I felt it just didn't fit in with the story. It would have been too much, too soon for poor Naruto, and there's no way he could have had rooms for healthy feelings while going through all of this. This, as well as the unanswered questions, is why I will be making a sequel. :) Haha, I'm so sorry! I planned for this story to be a short written in two months and it's turning into two separate novels!

Of course, it will feature the Akatsuki, and I already have the ending in mind (hah once again), but I only have a few scenes in my head at this point. I've been planning this for a long while, and to treat you, I'm putting up a teaser chapter for the next fanfiction which will be titled, "Red Storm". Let me know what you think!

I intend for it to be a bit less angsty (though still some, knowing my writing style) and more drama-focused, and it will feature a possessive Sasuke finally realizing his feelings (with a little help from our wonderful plot-driver, Shikamaru) for a clueless and still slightly traumatized Naruto, so expect your usual fiery, problem-ridden, teenage-angst highschool, SasuNaru relationship. Also, a lot more of it will be told from Sasuke's point of view.

Anyway, that's enough waffle from me. Please turn to the next chapter for the new story, and if you wish to continue reading, I recommend you follow or favourite "Red Storm" which I shall put up immediately! :D


	38. Teaser Chapter - Red Storm

**AN: **So, this is the first chapter of the sequel, 'Red Storm' which is up on my profile. :) I hope you like it. I'm going to take a day or two break from writing now because I look like a cat lady and need some fresh air, and to remember I still have a life outside of writing. I'm so freaking addicted! XD

P.S. I love you, my lovely readers. You make it all worthwhile. :D

**[edit] **My lovelies, I promised myself I wouldn't write for two days (Pff! I'm rubbish at keeping promises to myself), but I had to re-write this chapter because I hated the original, and wanted it to burn and die (I get a little too passionate about my writing). The dialogue felt too stilted and unnatural, and they were both way too clear-headed. If there's one thing Sasuke and Naruto are not, it's clear-headed, so I thought that had to change. I'm afraid I didn't have inspiration when I wrote the first one, and I'm still not entirely sure this one goes too much the other way or not. Sasuke keeps swinging from too nice to too asshole when I write this, and I'm finding it tough to find a happy medium, but since he's usually a bastard, I figure this way is better. Hope you like it. ;)

* * *

><p>Red Storm<p>

Chapter 1: Denial

"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt."

~Mark Twain

* * *

><p>A juggernaut of blond hair and orange hoody crashed into the room, slamming the door into the wall and dashing over to Sasuke who sat at his desk. It was Friday. It was also the last class of the day, and Sasuke, like all the other students was packing up his things to go home. He'd had a later schoolday than most, making up a bit of extra credit for his grades which had amounted in no end of mocking from Naruto, who had stated that if he studied anymore he would turn into a human encyclopedia - dull and square.<p>

The brash teenager in question stopped in front of Sasuke, slamming his hands down on the desk and leaning forward. His pearly white teeth were set in a manic grin as he beamed at his friend.

"Guess what!"

Sasuke looked up reluctantly from the notes he had been checking over for mistakes. Of course, there were none.

"What?" he said to the excited teenager.

"Guess!" repeated Naruto. His shaggy blond hair stuck up in spikes, only exaggerating the excitement which shone from his tan features.

Sasuke relaxed back in his chair. It looked like he wouldn't be getting any peace today.

"There are a million possibilities, so if you want me to know, you should tell me. I can't be bothered guessing for the next hour."

His careless reply did nothing to dampen Naruto's spirit. If anything his grin widened.

"Sakraagreedtchooadatewime!"

Sasuke let slip an amused smile. "Once more in English, please?"

Naruto stood back and took a deep breath, ignoring the people that stared at him as they filed out of the classroom. He shouted it for the world to hear, raising his hands in the air.

"Sakura agreed to a date with me!"

Sasuke's smile faded and he froze. "What?"

Naruto didn't notice, his blue eyes shining. "Isn't it awesome? I mean, you know I've been asking for ages and ages, but today she said she'd give it a chance and-"

He blabbed on, but Sasuke didn't hear him, his thoughts drifting off.

Naruto had been asking Sakura out for almost a year, every few weeks, on every special occasion. Even on Naruto's 16th birthday when he'd hoped to garner a special birthday treat, she had said no. She always said no. It was…it was…a universal constant. And a cold, dark sensation settled on Sasuke as he realized Naruto's perseverance had paid off.

Sakura had finally said yes. For some reason, this made a heavy cloud of anger descend in Sasuke's chest.

"That's great." said Sasuke, cutting him off. He stood and began gathering up his notes and pencils.

Naruto's grin faded slightly and he moved back from the desk. "Well, no need to look so happy for me. You'd think the sky had fallen judging by your face."

"No, I'm happy for you. Really." said Sasuke in a flat voice, not looking Naruto in the eye. The expression on his face looked like thunder.

Naruto raised a brow. "Okaaay…"

Sasuke shoved his papers in his bag. "I mean, if you want to waste your time and money on a shallow girl who doesn't even like you, that's your choice."

Naruto just gaped for a couple of seconds. "What the hell, man?"

Sasuke shrugged. "A lot of shallow girls agree to date people they're not interested in."

Naruto closed the gap between them in a flash, only obstructed by the small wooden desk, and grabbed Sasuke's collar roughly, making him drop his bag.

"Call her shallow again, and I'll punch you in your face, bastard."

Sasuke found himself staring into two deep blue eyes swirling with rage. He wasn't sure why but this gave him a feeling of satisfaction. Naruto was angry. Good. Fucking good. He was glad he was angry.

Sasuke smirked, not even trying to pull away.

"So you're saying this is a pity date? She feels sorry for you?"

Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion and Sasuke went in for the kill.

"Because we both know if I asked her out she'd drop you faster than you could blink."

Sasuke didn't see the fist coming. He should have, considering the reddening color of Naruto's face, the eyes that screwed up in anger, the growl that escaped from his throat, but he didn't, so when Naruto's fist connected with his face, he was caught completely by surprise, and he stumbled back in pain almost falling over his chair. He straightened up, staring at Naruto in shock. Ok, so maybe he'd deserved that a little, but hell if he was going to admit it.

People heading out of the door had stopped to look, murmuring to one another as they watched the scene unfold.

Sasuke touched his hand to his lip and pulled it back to see blood on his fingers. He shot a glare at the people in the doorway who jumped and turned away, hurrying out of the classroom as if they hadn't just been sticking their big noses in other people's business.

_Idiots._

"What the fuck is your problem?" Naruto was staring at him, confusion and disbelief written all over his face. "Why are you being such an asshole? You're supposed to say something like, 'Wow, congratulations, Naruto, you got the date you always wanted.', or 'Good luck, Naruto. I hope it turns out well.' I mean…the fuck?"

He stared into Sasuke's eyes, searching for an answer. "You want to date Sakura now because she's finally off the market, is that it?"

Sasuke wiped the blood off his lip. He sneered. "Don't be an idiot. I have zero interest in Sakura."

"_I'm_ being an idiot?" Naruto gave a harsh laugh and smiled around the empty classroom as if an imaginary audience was laughing along with him. "Oh, that's great. _I'm_ the one being an idiot."

"Yes, you are." Sasuke set his pale lips in a thin line. "Have you even thought about _why_ you like her? Do you even have a single thing in common?"

Naruto frowned, thrown off by the question. "That doesn't matter. I like her as a person."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Of course it matters. You don't share any of the same interests. Hell, you don't even like _doing_ the same things. You guys only hang out because you're in the same friend group. What're you going to do, go shopping for clothes?"

Naruto growled. "If I have to, yeah. It's called trying to make someone else happy, a concept _you_ wouldn't know anything about, being a selfish assface!"

Sasuke glared. He wasn't being selfish. How was he selfish? Selfish would be to let Naruto run around like a sick puppy after that pink-haired girl for any longer. If anything he was being kind. This had obviously gone on too long. Hell, he was looking out for his friend. That was anything but selfish in his opinion. No, if Naruto was smart, he wouldn't date Sakura _at all_.

Sasuke raked a hand through his hair. "I'm trying to look out for you. You're being naïve, Uzumaki. You obviously don't know how relationships work, but if you want to get strung along that's your choice."

Naruto just stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. It wasn't exactly a happy laugh, more of a hysterical I'm-going-to-kill-you-once-I'm-finished-finding-this-so-funny laugh.

Naruto finally stopped and wiped his eyes. "And you do? The Ice Prince of Konoha High, the Lord of Heartless Rejections is telling _me, I_ don't know how relationships work?"

He snorted. "I've never seen you show an interest in anyone. _An-y-one." _He repeated the word slowly, emphasizing every syllable with a mocking smile on his face. "Hell, I was beginning to think you were asexual. Maybe you should try actually _having_ a relationship before you go around giving people your _oh-so-wise _advice."

"Unlike you, I don't need to date in order to get validation." The words were out before Sasuke even had a chance to think, and Naruto's smile completely faded then.

Sasuke swallowed. Ok, personal attacks were going a bit far. Backtrack. Backtrack!

"Wait, I didn't mean-" he started, but Naruto just shook his head, staring at Sasuke in disgust.

"No, whatever, man. I don't need this. You could have just said congratulations, but I guess that's too much for the almighty Uchiha."

The 'almighty Uchiha' avoided his eyes, choosing instead to look out the window.

Naruto walked away, but paused at the door. "Oh, and by the way?"

Sasuke glanced round to see Naruto flipping him the middle finger.

"Fuck you very much."

He exited the room as quickly as he'd arrived, slamming the door behind him and leaving the classroom drenched in silence.

Sasuke sank down into his chair, and touched his rapidly swelling lip. Well, that had escalated quickly.

He stared at the scuffed wooden desk, worn from years of use and covered in teenager's initials, carved into the wood as if it would actually make their time here at school more meaningful.

He suddenly felt extremely confused. He and Naruto hadn't fought in a long time. I mean, sure the usual arguments, insults, and so on - that was a given - but not…_really_ fought.

He leaned forward on the desk, holding his head in his hands.

_What the hell had just happened?_


End file.
